\"Bastille Taken\": Idioms, Proverbs, Sayings, and Jokes about France's Main Fortress

On July 14, 1789, the Parisian mob storming the fortress-prison of the Bastille. This event resounded throughout the world and forever changed the course of history. Along with the revolution, the Bastille gave rise to a whole layer of culture — idioms, proverbs, sayings, and countless jokes that still live on. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotes — the image of the Bastille is firmly rooted in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom but also of the people's humor.

\"Take the Bastille\": the Main Idiomatic Expression of the Revolution

The most well-known idiom associated with the Bastille is undoubtedly \"take the Bastille\". In its literal sense, it means the storming of the fortress on July 14, 1789, but in a metaphorical sense, it symbolizes victory over oppression, the destruction of the old order, and the triumph of freedom. As historians write, \"its fall symbolized the end of the old world.\" This phrase has become a byword for any decisive action against injustice.

In literature, we find it in the most varied contexts. For example, in one quote from Russian classics, we read: \"Well, if there is a tribune whose voice will guide the ranks — the order of human nature, if there is a common goal — a fortress that needs to be taken, the Bastille that needs to be destroyed. — The Bastille has been taken. The revolution has won.\" Here, the Bastille serves as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must crush.

The name \"Bastille\" itself (from French bastille — fortification) also deserves special attention, which in many languages has become a byword for a prison or place of detention. For example, in English slang, the word \"bastille\" was used as a general term for a prison, and its shortened form \"steel\" was a favorite expression among the lower classes. In a metaphorical sense, \"sitting in the Bastille\" meant being in detention, and \"breaking out of the Bastille\" meant gaining freedom.

\"The Bastille Day Was a Waste\": A Famous Phrase from \"Love and Pigeons\"

Perhaps the most famous phrase about the Bastille in the post-Soviet space came not from history books but from cinema. In the film by Vladimir Menshov \"Love and Pigeons\" (1984), the character played by Sergey Yursky — Uncle Mitya — pulls out a torn calendar and sighs despairingly: \"I didn't drink, I didn't drink! Although there is a reason — the Bastille Day has passed in vain!\"

This remark has become a real aphorism. Thousands of people joke about the French national holiday in this way — as an excuse to drink that was missed. The phrase \"the Bastille Day was a waste\" has long outgrown the boundaries of the film and turned into an idiom denoting a missed opportunity for a celebration or a feast. Sometimes it is cited ironically, sometimes — with a light nostalgia for those times when even historical events became a reason for national humor.

By the way, the tradition of associating the Bastille with drinking is not accidental. After the destruction of the fortress, a plaque with the inscription \"Here they dance, and everything will be fine\" (ici l’on danse, ah ça ira, ah ça ira!) was installed on its site. So Uncle Mitya, without realizing it, continued a multi-century tradition — turning the symbol of tyranny into a place for joy.

\"The Wet Bastille\" and Other Literary Expressions

The Bastille was also not left without attention in Russian classics. In Mikhail Bulgakov's play \"The Magician's Cave,\" the hero exclaims: \"Accept, the wet Bastille!\" This expression sounds like a curse or a call to judgment — the image of a wet, dark fortress that is ready to engulf another victim. It emphasizes the ominous reputation of the Bastille as a place where people disappeared without trial.

Interestingly, the expression \"Lettre de cachet\" — \"seal letter\" — has also been preserved in the language. This was a royal edict that allowed a person to be imprisoned in the Bastille without trial, by the personal order of the monarch. The phrase itself has become a symbol of despotism and lawlessness, and in a metaphorical sense, it denotes any unfair order or decision.

Folk Sayings and Proverbs

The Bastille left not only serious but also ironic traces in the public memory. For example, there is a humorous saying: \"Don't curse Morداунт and the Bastille\" — a hint that anyone can end up in prison, even the most distinguished person. And in the circles of Alexander Dumas fans, another wit is going around: \"Measure seven times, fortify one Belle-Île\" — a parody of the famous proverb, where \"cut\" is replaced by the name of another fortress associated with the Musketeers' stories.

Of course, there are many idioms related to the Revolution and July 14 in France. For example, the phrase \"Les carottes sont cuites\" (\"carrots are cooked\") means that the matter is settled and there is no turning back — roughly like after the taking of the Bastille. And the motto \"Liberty. Equality. Fraternity\" has become not just a slogan but a phrase that is quoted throughout the world.

School Anecdotes: Who Took the Bastille?

The most popular joke about the Bastille is undoubtedly the classic school anecdote. The teacher asks the student: \"Who took the Bastille?\" He honestly answers: \"I didn't take it!\" Then — a chain reaction: the teacher is angry, the principal is confused, the director is desperate. This anecdote exists in dozens of variations. In one of them, Vovochka explains: \"I don't know, I didn't take it!\", and his father adds: \"I don't know, whether I took it or not, but I didn't bring it home.\"

Another popular dialogue:

— Why did you get a failing grade, son? — For the Bastille, dad! — What is that? — Such a fortress. — How many degrees? — Don't know, storming it. — That means it's a strong one!

These jokes are funny precisely because of their absurdity: the child takes the historical event for theft, and the fortress for an alcoholic beverage. They show how far the people's imagination can go from historical truth, turning a great event into an occasion for innocent laughter.

There are also puns in the English-speaking world. For example: \"Why does the French Revolution look like prohibition? Because they both got rid of the Bourbons!\" (Bourbon — both a dynasty and whiskey). Or: \"Have you heard the joke about Bastille Day? It's just a riot!\" (play on words: riot — riot, but also joy).

Foreign Humor: Puns and Parodies

You can find hundreds of jokes about the Bastille on the internet, built on wordplay. Here are some examples from English-language websites:

• \"Why did the baguette go to the party? Because it wanted to 'rise' to the occasion\" (rise — both to rise and to approach).
• \"Bastille Day without cheese — it's not believable!\" (un-brie-lievable — unbelievable).
• \"What was the favorite dish of the French Revolution? The liberty éclair!\" (play on words with éclair and liberty).
• \"Why do French bakers bake extra bread on Bastille Day? Because they know that everyone is going to 'storm' their bakery!\"

And there is also the famous pickup line: \"Hey, girl, are you the French Revolution? Because I always imagine you without pants\" (sans-culottes — literally \"without pants,\" the term used for revolutionaries). The wit, of course, is on the edge of a fault, but it perfectly illustrates how a historical image can turn into an occasion for flirting.

The Bastille as a Meme: From History to Internet Culture

Today, the image of the Bastille lives not only in anecdotes but also in internet memes. The phrase \"the Bastille Day was a waste\" has become one of the most quoted cinematic catchphrases in the Runet. It is used when one wants to joke about a missed celebration or a failed party. And in the English-speaking segment of social networks, there are pictures with captions like \"Bastille Day: the one holiday where storming something is actually encouraged\" (\"Bastille Day: the one holiday where storming something is actually encouraged\").

Memes and jokes about the Bastille are not just entertainment. They show how a historical event, separated from us by centuries, continues to live in the language and culture. We laugh at the Bastille because it no longer frightens us but inspires us — to freedom, to a celebration, and even to a good joke.

Conclusion

The Bastille has long been destroyed, but its image lives in thousands of expressions, proverbs, and jokes. From serious idioms like \"take the Bastille\" to absurd school anecdotes, from philosophical quotes by classics to internet memes — the fortress that once symbolized tyranny has today become a symbol of the people's wit. And perhaps this is the best victory of the revolution: even the darkest symbol can be turned into an occasion for a smile.

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