# bobo - bourgeois bohême



## hehiheho

Moderator note:
Three threads about the same term were merged.

Comment traduire en anglais "bourgeois boheme"?


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## Kelly B

Un extrait bref d'une critique du livre, en anglais, _Bobos in Paradise_ : "They're the bourgeois bohemians--"Bobos"--an unlikely blend of mainstream culture and 1960s-era counterculture..."

Trouvé aussi : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobos_in_Paradise


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## DDT

What about "radical chic"?

DDT


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## hehiheho

Ah pardon, en fait c'est deja un anglicisme! Merci pour vos reponses.

[desole pour l'absence d'accents, je peux pas les taper sur mon clavier.]


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## blinnith

hehiheho said:
			
		

> Comment traduire en anglais "bourgeois boheme"?


Comme tu le dis, "bobo"  est un terme qui vient des états-unis à l'origine !
Donc pas besoin de traduire. "bohemian bourgeois"


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## Agnès E.

Je comprends mal votre idée, Blinnith. 

Bourgeois = mot français
Bohemian = tiré du français bohème

L'expression anglaise est donc fabriquée à partir de mots français. Elle a donc logiquement une existence en vrai français !


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## Sirène

Ouah c'est le genre de chose que j'adore apprendre sur ce site !
Et je me dis que j'aurais dû me douter de l'origine étrangère de ce terme, parce qu'en fait il est relativement improbable que le mot français "bourgeois" ait donné "bo" comme diminutif, avec la prononciation française !
Merci Kelly B !


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## Curmud

Un ami m'a dit que le mot "bobo" veut dire "monde elévé ou élite". Selon lui son texte de l'université donne cette définition. Je trouve seulement "blessure" pour ce mot et je crois que cet usage dans son texte doit etre "slang".

I'd appreciate getting your experience with this word.I at first thought it might be a substitute for bourgeoisie, but that would mean middle class.

Aussi, corrigez mes fautes s'il vous plait.


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## Vaninamex

Good guess, Curmud!!
Il s'agit en effet d'une contraction de Bourgeois-Bohème, comme l'explique par exemple Wikipedia : 
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgeois-boh%C3%A8me
En tapant bobo sur Google, tu trouveras plein de liens intéressants.
Bonne continuation.


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## piquante

Bonjour, 
Bobo veut dire douleur, c'est un mot familier, surtout qd on fait référence à des enfants mais pas uniquement. Il veut dire   aussi 
"elite person" ds le style branché parisien!


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## QBU

Good morning,
BOBO is "bourgeois-bohème". In French "bourgeois" gives the sense of upper middle class. Bohème stands for elite people who affect some non conformism (in this expression).
They will buy at very high price a loft in Paris and drive 4X4 vehicles while defending the environment.
I hope it is of some help.
Bonne journée
Catherine


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## piguy3

Some American wrote a book about BoBos (maybe Bobos) in America, too   Bourgeouis Bohemians


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## Vaninamex

Yes, as a matter of fact, an American journalist, David Brooks, was the one who invented the word in his book "Bobos in Paradise" (2000) !


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## nopal

Bonjour 
You have an engish version of the thread Vaninamex found , hope this can help
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobos_in_Paradise


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## Agnès E.

I would rather describe French BOBOs by trendy+snobish than by elite... 
They have money, but are very conventional in their own style.
As QBU explained, their attitude is highly contradictory: they are usually wealthy people who claim having anti-globalisation convictions and buy organic/ethnic products while polluting with their 4x4 cars and bying all the state-of-the-art gadgets, etc.

http://www.bobo-antiques.com/about.aspx

http://www.bboheme.com/

http://www.legraindesable.com/html/bobos.htm (I hope you will be able to understand this one, which is hilarious and particularly acurate )


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## DDT

I can add that in Paris some districts are defined "Bobo" in order to single out the kind of people - trendy + snobbish as Agnès pointed out (branché & snob en français) - living there. Other kind of districts? "popu" (short form of "populaire", popular) and "B.C.B.G." ("Bon Chic Bon Genre", posh)...variety is the spice of life, isn't it?

DDT


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## bernik

French bobos are against death penalty, in favor of gay marriage, more immigration, etc. I think they would be called liberal in the USA.
They vote for the Socialist Party, the Verts, the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire, etc.


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## Curmud

Agnès E. said:
			
		

> I would rather describe French BOBOs by trendy+snobish than by elite...
> They have money, but are very conventional in their own style.
> As QBU explained, their attitude is highly contradictory: they are usually wealthy people who claim having anti-globalisation convictions and buy organic/ethnic products while polluting with their 4x4 cars and bying all the state-of-the-art gadgets, etc.
> 
> http://www.bobo-antiques.com/about.aspx
> 
> http://www.bboheme.com/
> 
> http://www.legraindesable.com/html/bobos.htm (I hope you will be able to understand this one, which is hilarious and particularly acurate )[
> /quote]
> 
> I was able to understand 99% of it and it was indeed a fun read.
> Merci - Marvin


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## piguy3

I find it interesting that "bobo" seems to have attained a much greater insertion into French vocabulary than it has into American.  I think I remember references to it in Paris in 2002, and I guess it may be even more common now.  However, I don't think too many Americans are aware of the concept, and I live near DC, which is full of them


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## LV4-26

bernik said:
			
		

> French bobos are against death penalty, in favor of gay marriage, more immigration, etc. I think they would be called liberal in the USA.
> They vote for the Socialist Party, the Verts, the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire, etc.


 While that may be right, please don't infer that all the people who have the above opinions are bobos. Fortunately, political opinions do not depend *only* on social status.

Therefore, I would disagree with your last sentence. "_Liberal"_ in English, unlike _bobo_ in French, refers to political opinions and has little (I'm not saying "nothing", mind you) to do with the social category you belong to.


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## Sirène

> While that may be right, please don't infer that all the people who have the above opinions are bobos.


Oui, LV4-26, c'est un point important. N'oublions pas que _bobo_ est un terme qui implique un certain mépris, et même un mépris certain, de la part de celui qui l'emploie.


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## Kimica

Je suis désolée d'être en rétard pour repondre. Je crois que "bobo" en anglais est "boho". C'était la mode l'année dernière.


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## emma42

Si on voudrait vraiment le traduire en anglais, je dirais "Weekend hippy" ou, bien, "champagne hippy" un peu comme "champagne socialist".


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## NYCPrincesse

Agnès E. said:
			
		

> Je comprends mal votre idée, Blinnith.
> 
> Bourgeois = mot français
> Bohemian = tiré du français bohème
> 
> L'expression anglaise est donc fabriquée à partir de mots français. Elle a donc logiquement une existence en vrai français !



While that's true, Agnes, David Brooks actually coined the term in his book in 2000.  Therefore, while its elements may have French roots, the term itself is quite American.


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## NYCPrincesse

Kimica said:
			
		

> Je suis désolée d'être en rétard pour repondre. Je crois que "bobo" en anglais est "boho". C'était la mode l'année dernière.



Peut-etre en Angleterre, mais aux States on utilise bien le terme Bobo, grace a David Brooks...


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## polaire

"Radical Chic" is a somewhat mocking term that describes a phenomenon in the 60s.  I think that it became popular after the writer Tom Wolfe wrote a famous magazine article about a dinner party that the composer Leonard Bernstein had for The Black Panthers, a radical civil rights organization.  The term suggests wealthy people who are dabbling in extreme politics that they don't really understand.  I think Jane Fonda (during her anti-Vietnam War phase) would have been considered an example of "radical chic."  Except she turned out to be right.  

"Boho" is just an abbreviation for bohemian, as far as I know.  I can't remember hearing anyone use it.  But it suggests someone who is a _real_ bohemian/starving artist.

"Bobo", which thankfully I've never heard used in conversation, is more like "radical chic" in the sense of people who want to have it both ways -- they want the excitement of being bohemians while having the comfort of the bourgeois life.  It comes, as was noted, from a book by David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times.  Based on the lengthy excerpt that ran in the New York Times, I can't say I think much of his thesis, but that's the term he coined.


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## viera

emma42 said:
			
		

> Si on voudrait vraiment le traduire en anglais, je dirais "Weekend hippy" ou, bien, "champagne hippy" un peu comme "champagne socialist".


 
Is *"champagne socialist"* commonly used?  Its French equivalent, "la gauche caviar" is often heard on this side of the Channel.


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## emma42

Yes, I think it is, although it has been around for some time now.  Perhaps I don't hear it as often as I did before.

The post about students studying anthropology made me laugh!  (Sorry, i can't recall the forer@  now).  I have a friend from an upper-middle class home who studied anthropology, wears handmade clothes/batik/silk printed thingies, is a vegetarian, engages in left wing politics, and does not work, but always seems to be going on holiday.  However, she is one of the loveliest and most compassionate people I have ever met.  Lesson, I suppose: Don't judge a bobo by its batik dress.


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## cris666

comment diriez vous bobo en anglais? je sais que c'est une style de s'habiller bohème-bourgeois mais je ne trouve pas un équivalent.
merci bcp à tous!


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## wildan1

limousine liberals

l'autre bobo (une blessure) se dit _booboo_


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## Randisi.

Hi.

I've seen the word 'bobo' used to describe bourgeois-bohemian individuals. But I can't speak to its usage for a fashion style.


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## wildan1

I don't think Brooks's _bobo _has much traction in the US outside of Manhattan and intellectual circles. It's not as widely used as it seems to be in Paris, anyway.


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## bezani

re: 





> comment diriez vous bobo en anglais?


and 





> I don't think Brooks's _bobo _has much traction in the US outside of Manhattan and intellectual circles. It's not as widely used as it seems to be in Paris, anyway


 
I agree. After reading through this forum, I believe that Yuppie might be the best English equivalent for Bobo. Here is a definition, from http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Yuppie%23See-also:





> *Yuppie*, an acronym for "Young Urban Professional", a term often used pejoratively with connotations of selfishness, materialism, and superficiality. Originally the term held some positive meaning, but quickly led to backlash against those that self-identified with the term.... Common traits for Yuppie would include the following:
> 
> Expensive car such as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Porsche, etc
> An expensive condo, townhouse or apartment in a "trendy" building or neighborhood ...
> Hobbies or activities that are generally not embraced by rural or suburban people
> Membership at exclusive gyms
> Engaging in conspicuous consumption
> Elitism, even from those with humble beginnings


 
We often associate the term with becoming involved in fads and trends, like yoga or environmentalism, without really understanding or caring about the foundations of those movements.


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## albisa

Hi bezani,

I've lived in Paris for a few years, and I was born in East Normandy anyways, which means straight after Paris surbubs, so it's a place I know very well. 

I say that because, I disagree with you when you say that Yuppie might be the best English equivalent for Bobo. I don't claim that I understand exactly what an english speaker means when he uses this term, but when a french one does, I know exactly what he means.

So if we look at what are the Yuppies caracteristics and compare them with the (French/Parisian) Bobo's I notice that:

1. Bobos don't drive expensive cars, they'd rather take the bus, or metro, ride a bike, or maybe a stylish environmentally-friendly car like Smart, Mini, New Beatle, but no Porsche.
2. Bobo like to live in cheap and multicultural areas, but they are the main cause of the gentrification of those ones, like in the famous 18th, 19th, 20th districts of Paris, but I admit they are attracted by trendy buildings, for a different reason though, as they like those in sustainable model districts, or green buildings etc.
3. Its true that Bobos like hobbies that are generally not embraced by rural or suburban people, specially Parisian Bobos, they are one the most haughty people I've ever seen (everything that's not going one inside the ring road is not interesting)
4. I don't know anything about their gym clubs habits
5. They definitely love conspicuous consumption, they think that they set the trend.
6. I don't think they are very elitist they are rather superficial third-worldists.

And the last sentence you said is absolutely true.


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## albisa

As a conclusion Yuppies (according to the definition you gave) is definitely different from a Parisian Bobo.


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## Xavier11222

Since this is dealing with the definition of a social group, it may have no end, but Albisa's description above does not fit the Bobos as defined by Brooks - rather _hipsters_, which I've learned are commonly and misleadingly called "bobos" in Paris.


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## temple09

It may not be exactly the same thing as bobo, but there is a populaire word which has recently emerged in England which is "a trustafarian".
It is a blend of "trust fund" (a lot of money given to a young person by their parents or benefactors) and "Rastafarian".
It denotes a young person who is rich, but prefers to hide this fact, and wears messy clothes, grows their hair long, listens to hippy music and goes on demonstrations to end wars and prevent global warming ... whilst hiding the fact that Daddy own an oil company.


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## Beachxhair

@bezani - Yuppie does seem to be a good translation, but (for me at least), it only really refers to the 1980s.....I haven't heard anyone under the age of 40 use it! There are people who exhibit the same kind of behaviour today, but we wouldn't really call them 'yuppies' anymore...


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## ClairePoppy

Hipster? Seems a bit more updated now I think..


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## will dawg

Hier c'était Hippie...
Aujourd'hui c'est bobo-écolo


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## Jennee0629

Reviving this thread to say that in 2019, I hear the term "bougie" a lot in the US. Pronounced boo-zhee with a soft g, short for bourgeois. (Pour les français : prononcé exactement comme 'une bougie' bou-ji).


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## Kelly B

Yes, that seems to be the new adjective for yuppies and the settings and accoutrements they choose, in the pretentiously stylish sense. It's different from the French bobo, but fits some of the other descriptions in this discussion.


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## AlphabetLatin

Hum... be extremely careful

"Bobo" (Bourgeois Bohème) in French in many contexts has a political connation, this means "bourgeois de gauche" (as we expect here that bourgeois are commonly bourgeois de droite)

This designates people voting for "Socialiste" party  or assimilated as "les verts" (green party) (equivalent of labour in english, of democrat party in USA) and living very comfortably with a high level of income ...

This is a fierce mockery tending to denounce hypocrisy of many people living with a very high level of income, pretending to fight social inequality, but finally behaving exactly as any capitalist voting for politic party promoting free capitalism. A "bobo" will exactly behave as any "bourgeois de droite" trying to pay less taxes when they can.

So in the literal sense this could mean something like som rich people just living as anybody without outside sign of wealth (no big car, no costly wearing or even very cool wearing so living as a "bohème" meaning "vivre dans l'insouciance et la pauvreté", mais ici on dénonce une fausse pauvreté, une hypocrisie par l'opposition Bourgeois/Bohème), as opposed to "PAP" (Paris Auteuil Passy") that anybody could identify from their outside sign of wealth.

In the most common sense... theses last 30 years in France, Bobo is mostly used as a political attack

I am not sure it matches exactly the "bobos in paradise".
Bobos has probably a proper meaning in France that won't be well understood in UK or USA, as there are for historical reasons a real ideological fracture between parties classified as left (socialistes, verts) and right (RPR, Partie Républicain....). There are probably more ideological fracture between left and right in France, than between Labour and Tories, or Democrat and Republican. That is explaining the "gilet jaunes"

Many "gilets jaunes" (but not all) are in fact "extremistes de gauche cherchant à créer la chaos en France pour lancer une nouvelle révolution"
This could surprise British and American people who would not understand why in a country like France there would be people trying to make a new revolution, but it can only be understood if we keep in mind the real fracture between left and right parties in France, and so you can understand "Bourgeois Bohème"

In the English/American acception it seems that "bobo" is mostly used as a kind of equivalent to "nouveau riche"
This is absolutely not the case today in France


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