Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

French Guessing Game Answer

French antique guessing

105 Comments, numerous emails, and only one right answer. I love it when I am not the only one stumped finding an answer.

First I want to say congratulations to those of you who (take) and took part of the French Guessing Games. I enjoy when I find something at the French brocante that stumps me and I think will stump the readers of Tongue in Cheek as well. It is not easy to stump you! In the over thirty or so Guessing Games that I have had onmy blog, only one went on for nearly a week. The others usually are figured out within a day.

 

 

What the heck is it

 

So what are those things? Well they are not: A cigarette rest, nor something to darn with, nor to chill a drink, nor a weight, nor an ink pen holder. Neither are they something to keep a boiling pot from boiling over, nor a shoe horn, nor a something regarding sewing.

They are not to keep gloves or shoes form, nor placecard holders, nor acupuncture-like therapy things, nor tiny washboard.

Thank you Claudia for explaining the initials: "Brevete S.G.O.G. (Brevete indicates that the design of this item incorporates a patent claimed by Blanchon. Sans Garantie du Gouvernement is a disclaimer required by the government of France stating that it does not guarantee enforcement of the claimed patent. 1844-1968.) Blanchon made 'toy arms'." They are NOT toy arms.

 

What is it

 

They are not false teeth for a donkey, nor weights, nor something to wedge an amoire or a jar, nor a shuttle, nor a stamp for butter, nor something for a bird cage, nor to crush ice…

Good answers and most of them could work if you wanted to re-purpose this handy tool.

 

The creative winning response goes to Joan who wrote: "

"These are spare tongues for the Ice Queen. When she gets angry her tongue melts and she needs to pop another one in!"
Please send me your address by email, and I will send you one of them.
To find out the winning answer you must follow the link below to YOU TUBE to watch a video I made.
If you are receiving this by email, or RSS you might not see they link, so you will have to come to my blog directly to see the link and click on it:
The Answer to the French Guessing Game Click Here.

 

 

 

Comments

33 responses to “French Guessing Game Answer”

  1. Carol L

    Well now WHY didnt I think of that and why didnt these become a hit in America? They are so simple but genius. Mystery solved and what fun it was, thanks Corey.

    Reply
  2. Merisi

    Wow, this answer really stumps me!
    Toy arms as in an arm and a leg, not a weapon?
    Children playing with glass? Where and how would they be attached to?

    Reply
  3. Tongue in Cheek

    WHOOPS!! I forgot to add NOT toy arms!! OOPS! CHeck the video for the answer!
    My typo error!

    Reply
  4. Jeannie

    LOL! I read Patty’s answer and thought she should win for most creative! Thanks for stumping me and teaching me! Congrats Patty!

    Reply
  5. Leigh NZ

    What! I read Patty’s answer to my nursing colleagues on night duty the other night and they all burst out laughing thinking the answer was a creative one and not the real answer. How bizarre! Love playing your guessing games Corey; they are always a hit on night duty; the Duty Manager even had a go when she stopped by on our ward.

    Reply
  6. Kathie B

    Could you please list who the winner was, so we can check the answer without having to look at the video? Merci!

    Reply
  7. Merisi

    *giggles* Your really had me wondering there, Corey! x

    Reply
  8. Paula

    I come from the midwest, from a middle class family with a Dad from the farm. We always had milk gravy every evening meal during the week and company (brown) gravy on the weekends. To keep the gravy out of the peas, he would wedge his knife under his plate to tilt it. I guess the meat was tender enough to cut with his fork!! And that is how it was done in America.

    Reply
  9. Kathie B

    Voilà! I found Patti’s answer on the original guessing game page. Très ingenieux!

    Reply
  10. Jill Flory

    LOL! I saw that guess when I posted my thoughts! So funny that it’s actually right! I used my knife to prop my plate sometimes when i was a kid and my Mom didn’t think it was proper etiquette at all. Too bad we didn’t know that the French thought it was proper and even had a special made tool just for that!

    Reply
  11. Judy

    Brilliant! And so much fun to hear your real voice after reading your blog for a couple of years!

    Reply
  12. Zosia

    Interesting. The amount of innovation that the French have invested into domestic life and fashion equals the innovation that NASA puts into space travel and research LOL!

    Reply
  13. RV Deshaies

    When I lived in France in the 1960s, my family did that differently; they used a fork under the plate to tilt it and thus collect the vinaigrette when we had artichokes.

    Reply
  14. Barbara from Sydney

    Thank you so much Corey, for such fun!

    Reply
  15. pmj

    Those clever French . . . and so pretty too!

    Reply
  16. Debra

    I just love the French attention to every detail especially when it comes to food. I didn’t even guess cuz you totally stumped me – didn’t have a clue. Love the way you told the answer, u tube was such fun!

    Reply
  17. Linda

    Just curious…So how do you say “wedge to keep the gravy away from the peas” en français?

    Reply
  18. Diogenes

    Corey, I never would have guessed it! I read the correct answer in the comments and thought it was a wild and incorrect guess, LOL.

    Reply
  19. Smee

    Well isn’t that just clever? How did I live without them thus far?
    Now I need a set of twelve.

    Reply
  20. Marilyn

    Who would have ever dreamed of creating something such as this. Very clever!

    Reply
  21. Evelyn

    How fun! I made artichokes just last week and could have used one. Loved the video answer. It was delightful to hear the Corey behind “Tongue in Cheek”

    Reply
  22. 24/7 in France

    My French husband didn’t know what they are, as his family used a knife under the plate to angle it. Clever!

    Reply
  23. jend’isère

    Overconfidence possessd me when I read that your husband remembered these. A picture of a French schoolboy using these to protect his wooden desk appeared. But the physics resulting from geometry would make eating even more memorable for a small boy! When did his mother or grandmother stop using them? And why?

    Reply
  24. Tongue in Cheek

    It is called a, “Leve-assiette”.

    Reply
  25. Tongue in Cheek

    lol, Yann said, “That a leve-assiette is a little ‘chic’ thing, yet putting your knife under your plate is the classic French way. He also went on to say, “Oh yes we did that too, I forgot about sticking the knife under the plate.”

    Reply
  26. Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen

    Loved your video Corey. Never in a million years would I have guessed the answer. How cool and how clever of the French to come up with something so useful and unusual.
    Sam

    Reply
  27. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    Really could have used these in back when my Granny made gravy daily. Loved hearing your French accent!

    Reply
  28. tammigirl

    Very clever, Corey! I thought they might have been a mending tool, but parts of it just did not make sense.

    Reply
  29. Suzanna

    hilarious!!! ~ dashin to tha video ~ XO

    Reply
  30. Susan

    When I came across that comment I thought how clever of an imagination she has, but I didn’t think that was the answer. Now I see she is one smart lady.

    Reply
  31. Patti Lloyd

    Something to keep your world tipsy! How clever! I loved hearing your voice, Corey…it feels like I can know you better. You are one fun chick.

    Reply
  32. Patti Lloyd

    hmmm..doesn’t look like my comment posted..how it isn’t redundant if I say it again. I thought it was very clever for someone to come up with an item to keep the world more tipsy. Loved hearing your voice, Corey..it feels like I know you better. You are one fun chick!

    Reply
  33. RebeccaNYC

    Thats amazing! Leave it to the French to invent such an attractive item to solve a problem I never knew I had. Amazing!

    Reply

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