# Un homme de goût



## KaRiNe_Fr

Salut forum,

Une toute petite question bête : comment dit-on "un homme de goût".
Contexte : quelqu'un vous fait un compliment (une fois n'est pas coutume !  ) et vous répondez "Merci, je savais que tu étais un homme de goût !" 
My poor attempt: a man of taste? A connoisseur? 

Merci !


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## Zingakyo

Salut,

je pense qu'on ne peut pas le traduire littéralement, mais tu pourrais par exemple dire "I knew you had good taste".


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## The MightyQ

...I knew you were a man of good taste.


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## Cath.S.

"Please, allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste"... 
The Rolling Stones,_ Sympathy for the Devil_


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Merci à tous. Si les Stones l'utilisent, je crois que je peux aussi.


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## wildan1

The MightyQ said:


> ...I knew you were a man of good taste.


 
I agree with Q--you need to add _good_ in English (if you aren't singing the Rolling Stones song as you say it)--_a man of good taste_


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## Cath.S.

I get tens of thousands of man of taste Google hits.


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## AWhiteFlame

I concur. Need the "good", otherwise it wouldn't hit me right away what you were talking about.


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## Zingakyo

Since when being used by the majority (and accordingly being a Google hit) is a sign of being a correct form ?
Beware of that for the french spelling at least !


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## Cath.S.

AWhiteFlame said:


> I concur. Need the "good", otherwise it wouldn't hit me right away what you were talking about.


Do yoiu really find any of those Google examples ambiguous? 


			
				Zingakyo said:
			
		

> Since when being used by the majority (and accordingly being a Google hit) is a sign of being a correct form ?
> Beware of that for the french spelling at least !


Depuis jamais, et je ne fais que citer ces exemples pour appuyer mon expérience personnelle.
J'imagine que c'est à moi que cette remarque assez désobligeante s'adressait, bien que tu n'aies pas pris la peine de me citer.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

egueule said:


> I get tens of thousands of man of taste Google hits.


Oui, j'ai vu. Alors ? Une différence AE/BE ?


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## wildan1

I didn't look at anything on Google to answer. Just listened to my own ear...


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Et _connoisseur _alors ? Ça me semble un peu ridicule, mais bon...


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## Cath.S.

wildan1 said:


> I didn't look at anything on Google to answer. Just listened to my own ear...


I find it wiser to trust 60 000 ears than one, no offense meant. I spent many years in Britain and Ireland and am familiar with _a man of taste_, I only checked Google when my answer was challenged.


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## zazap

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> Et _connoisseur _alors ? Ça me semble un peu ridicule, mais bon...


I would use it, if I wanted to say something cute and funny.
"oooh, I _knew_ you were a connoisseur!"


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## wildan1

that's more about appreciating good things to eat rather than your taste in clothes or decoration

_a wine connaisseur, a cigar connaisseur_


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## Cath.S.

Connaisseur isn't a word in English, conn*oi*sseur is.


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## zazap

wildan1 said:


> that's more about appreciating good things to eat rather than your taste in clothes or decoration
> 
> _a wine connaisseur, a cigar connaisseur_


I agree, but I think the meaning could be stretched...


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## KaRiNe_Fr

wildan1 said:


> that's more about appreciating good things to eat rather than your taste in clothes or decoration
> 
> _a wine connaisseur, a cigar connaisseur_


Conn*a*isseur (like in French), or conn*o*isseur? 
Could I say "a women connaisseur" too?
("something cute and funny" this is what I'm looking for  )


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## orangenormal

I thought I'd chime in and say "a man of taste" is perfectly understandable. While it's common to describe someone as having "good taste," "a man of taste" is just fine.

(Mind you, I speak Canadian English.  )


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## wildan1

egueule said:


> Connaisseur isn't a word in English, conn*oi*sseur is.


 
I have never seen the word spelled with an o in an English text

Merriam-Webster:* connoisseur:* *obsolete French (now connaisseur)*


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## calembourde

I would be much more likely to say 'a man of taste' than 'a man of good taste'. I guess it must be an AE/BE/NZE/etcE difference.  'Taste' is like 'luck'... unless you explicitly say it's bad, the 'good' is implied. However, if somebody had very different taste from yours, you could joke, 'I knew you were a man of taste... bad taste!'

Connoisseur to me implies more expertise than good taste, but I guess it could be used humorously. I don't think it is commonly used that way though, so it might not be as easily understood as being humourous. If you did not put the right expression into your voice somebody might at first think that you seriously thought they were a connoisseur.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Thanks orangenormal!
Canadian English or not, you seem to be a (wo)man of taste.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

wildan1 said:


> Merriam-Webster:* connoisseur:* *obsolete French (now connaisseur)*


That's right: it is no more used in French. That's why I find funny it is a word used in English. 



calembourde said:


> I would be much more likely to say 'a man of taste' than 'a man of good taste'. [...] If you did not put the right expression into your voice somebody might at first think that you seriously thought they were a connoisseur.


Thanks Calembourde. 
Don't worry it is written English. I will put the right smilies.


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## wildan1

calembourde said:


> Connoisseur to me implies more expertise than good taste


 
In AE we could call that a _maven_ (it's Yiddish, but quite broadly used now).

_He's a carpentry maven, she's a real language maven_

it could be the same as _connaisseur_, but the latter is usually reserved for the "finer" things in life


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## Nicomon

I googled conn*o*isseur I agree with egueule conn*a*isseur is not an English word. Yet I agree also that conn*o*isseur is usually reserved for the finer things.



> A "connoisseur" is defined as "an informed and astute judge in the matters of taste - an expert" (_American Heritage Dictionary_, 2nd College Ed., c. 1983).


 

And also...
A man of good taste vs A man of taste (purposely adding A)

Granted, you can't always judge by a number of google hits... but 600 as opposed to 38 000 + hasn't me convinced.

I'd say *a man of taste* as well. I wouldn't say in French « un homme de bon goût  » and don't see why we should add good in English.


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## KaRiNe_Fr

Nicomon said:


> [...]
> I'd say *a man of taste* as well. [...]


Merci Nico.  C'est ce que j'ai utilisé maintenant.


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## watergirl

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> Conn*a*isseur (like in French), or conn*o*isseur?
> Could I say "a women connaisseur" too?
> ("something cute and funny" this is what I'm looking for  )



Karine, For your sentence you could definitely use "man of taste" but also

 "a real connoisseur of women."

 I think both would be funny and appropriate!  Good luck...


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## Nicomon

wildan1 said:


> In AE we could call that a _maven_ (it's Yiddish, but quite broadly used now).
> 
> _He's a carpentry maven, she's a real language maven_
> 
> it could be the same as _connaisseur_, but the latter is usually reserved for the "finer" things in life


 
I can't say that I'm familiar with maven.  But wouldn't that mean that he's very knowledgeable about carpentry and language? And nothing to do with taste, whereas conn*o*isseur can be stretched, at least in a humourous way.


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## watergirl

Yes, nicomon, I agree.   "Maven" is more like "expert" and wouldn't really fit here, regarding having good taste in women (in my humble opinion).


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## Nicomon

wildan1 said:


> that's more about appreciating good things to *eat *rather than your taste in clothes or decoration
> 
> _a wine connaisseur, a cigar connaisseur_


 
Wine, cigar (but I wouldn't eat those) fine cuisine, or as per this WR definition of connoisseur.

_



			an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts
		
Click to expand...

_


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## KaRiNe_Fr

watergirl said:


> Karine, For your sentence you could definitely use "man of taste" but also
> 
> "a real connoisseur of women."
> 
> I think both would be funny and appropriate!  Good luck...


Thanks watergirl. I would remember it if of any use.


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## Curmud

In the contexte cited by Karine, I would clearly understand "I knew you were a man of good taste". _A man of taste would not have as clear a meaning to me._


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## Nicomon

Curmud said:


> In the contexte cited by Karine, I would clearly understand "I knew you were a man of good taste". _A man of taste would not have as clear a meaning to me._


 
To be honest (though I prefer without) it bothers me less in English. However I definitely would not say in French  « un homme/une femme de *bon* goût »


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## wildan1

So, Karine, if your translation is for a UK-oriented audience "man of taste" says it all. If it's going to include AE speakers, "good taste" will avoid all misunderstandings. (Maybe we need this clarification because we are used to seeing more different kinds of taste than good around here!)


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## Randisi.

Maybe it can be accounted for by US regional differences, but I would always say 'a man of taste' over 'a man of good taste'. The addition of the adjective, in my opinion, ruins the crisp edge of the phrase.


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## Sarah1

wildan1 said:


> that's more about appreciating good things to eat rather than your taste in clothes or decoration
> 
> _a wine connaisseur, a cigar connaisseur_


 
One can also be a connoisseur of art for example or designer labels; anything really and not just food.

With regard to "man of taste" as opposed to "man of good taste", I think I'd go wth the latter, although either would do in my oppinion.


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## Tina75

In the Robert Collins dictionary, 'les gens de gout' is translated as 'people of taste'. Accordingly, I think 'a man of taste' is perfectly acceptable. The 'good' is implied. You would never refer to a man of bad taste as 'a man of taste'...


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## Avignonaddict

Hi,

Seems like it might be a BE / AE thing, but I (BE) would definitely use 'man of taste' , or more likely 'woman'!

Strong feeling flying though! I'm happy that we all take linguistic subtlety so seriously.

And re google -statistics can lie (viz 2000 US election result) but it's a resource like any other.


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## Nicomon

Tina75 said:


> In the Robert Collins dictionary, 'les gens de gout' is translated as 'people of taste'. Accordingly, I think 'a man of taste' is perfectly acceptable. The 'good' is implied. You would never refer to a man of bad taste as 'a man of taste'...


 
I couldn't have summed it up better myself.  Welcome to the forum, Tina 75.


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