"In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their language." — Mark Twain
I always have to chuckle when imagining a French man anywhere other than the kitchen or the boudoir.
My latest enlightenment was reinforced when I came across the word "puissant" and wondered if it is the root of our dismissive "piss ant" reference in American English. It looks pretty close in spelling and the definition includes the pronunciation guide of PWISS-uhnt (of course you have to stress the PWISS through your nose {thus explaining the enormous honkers the French possess from having to force words through the schnozzola}).
In any event, puissant simply cannot mean anything significant — just look at it.
But further illumination triggered further tittering, as it turns out puissant (indeed French in origin) means "powerful; strong; mighty; as, a puissant prince or empire."
Précisément!
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