France’s President Emmanuel Macron calls Malcolm Turnbull’s wife ‘delicious’, lights up Twitter
Some observers felt he may have been making a joke, others felt he may have slipped up in his use of English
Whatever the case, Macron raised eyebrows in Sydney on Wednesday by calling Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s wife “delicious”.
Wrapping up a joint news conference during his brief Australian visit, Macron moved to thank the Turnbulls for their hospitality.
“I want to thank you for your welcome, thank you and your delicious wife for your warm welcome,” he said.
Sometimes translation is tough.
"I want to thank you for your welcome, you and your delicious wife" @EmmanuelMacron says to @TurnbullMalcolm pic.twitter.com/bIn6kokiYW— ABC Sydney (@abcsydney) May 2, 2018
The comment quickly sparked some lighthearted reaction on social media and in the Australian press amid lively conjecture about the French leader’s intent.
“Macron just said he wanted to thank Malcolm Turnbull and his ‘delicious wife’. You can take the man out of France but …,” tweeted Alice Workman, a journalist.
Australian ABC News tweeted: “Lost in translation: Emmanuel Macron thanks the PM’s ‘delicious wife.’”
Despite Macron’s deadpan delivery, some observers felt he may have been making a joke. Turnbull had just mentioned Macron’s imminent lunch with members of Sydney’s French community, and had followed with comments about French gastronomy and wine.
Others felt Macron may simply have slipped up in his use of English, since the French word for delicious – delicieux – also translates as “delightful”.
“Presumably he meant she was delightful,” said Sydney-based translator Ian Davies.
“You say delicieux about a patisserie not a person.”
The more mischievous may have even considered Macron’s comment to possibly be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Trump’s visit to Paris last year, when he was caught telling Macron’s wife, Brigitte, that she was “in such great shape,” before looking to her husband and saying, “Beautiful”.
Additional reporting by Reuters