“Le Beau Monsieur Tire Ses Gants Blancs (The Handsome Gentleman Throws His White Gloves)”
Description
French. A gentleman takes off his white gloves and gives a woman all the money she wants. He says, time for love. She follows him backwards saying "Good evening. I am going down river." I will go with my money to a convent and live happily.
Notes
There's obviously an idiom here I don't understand: "mettre des gants blancs" meaning "to put on white gloves" and what looks like its obverse. Losing gloves was used euphemisticly in the 17th century for losing virginity, but that's a real stretch here (cf. _Dictionnaire des expressions et locutions_ by Rey et Chantreau, 1993). White gloves signifies elegance and maybe taking them off is appropriate here (cf. _La Grand Robert de la Langue Francais_ (Montreal, 1985), v.$, p. 816). - BS
References
- Peacock, pp. 170-171, "Le Beau Monsieur Tire Ses Gants Blancs" (1 text, 1 tune)
- BI, Pea170