\"Bastille Taken\": Fixed Expressions, Proverbs, Sayings, and Jokes About France's Main Fortress

On July 14, 1789, the Parisian mob stormed the fortress-prison of the Bastille. This event echoed throughout the world and forever changed the course of history. But along with the revolution, the Bastille gave rise to a whole layer of culture — fixed expressions, proverbs, sayings, and countless jokes that are still alive today. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotations, the image of the Bastille has firmly taken root in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom but also of the people's humor.

\"Take the Bastille\": The Main Phraseologicalism of the Revolution

The most well-known fixed expression associated with the Bastille is undoubtedly \"take the Bastille.\" In its literal sense, it means the siege of the fortress on July 14, 1789, but in a figurative sense, it symbolizes the victory over oppression, the overthrow 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 onomatopoeic for any decisive action against injustice.

We encounter it in literature in the most varied contexts. For example, in one quote from Russian classics, we read: \"It's good if there is a tribune whose voice will lead 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 acts as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must smash.

The name \"Bastille\" (from the French bastille — fortress) itself deserves special attention, which in many languages has become onomatopoeic for a prison or place of confinement. 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 figurative sense, \"sitting in the Bastille\" meant being in confinement, and \"breaking out of the Bastille\" meant gaining freedom.

\"The Day of the Bastille Take was in Vain\": A Quotation from \"Love and Pigeons\"

Perhaps the most famous quote about the Bastille in the post-Soviet space came not from history books, but from cinema. In the film by Vladimir Menchov \"Love and Pigeons\" (1984), the character played by Sergei Yursky — Uncle Mitya — pulls out a torn calendar and sighs dejectedly: \"I haven't drunk, I haven't drunk! Although there is a reason — the day of the Bastille take was in vain!\"

This remark has become a real aphorism. Thousands of people mention the French national holiday in jest in this way — as an opportunity to drink that was missed. The phrase \"the day of the Bastille take was in vain\" has long outgrown the boundaries of the film and become a fixed expression, indicating a missed opportunity for a celebration or a feast. Sometimes it is cited satirically, sometimes — with a light nostalgia for those times when even historical events became a reason for the people's humor.

By the way, the tradition of linking the Bastille with drinking is not accidental. After the destruction of the fortress, a tablet 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 knowing it, continued the centuries-old tradition of turning the symbol of tyranny into a place for fun.

\"Soggy Bastille\" and Other Literary Expressions

The Bastille has also not gone unnoticed in Russian classics. In Mikhail Bulgakov's play \"The Cabbala of Swanto,\" the character exclaims: \"Accept, the wet Bastille!\" This expression sounds like a curse or a call to judgment — the image of a damp, dark fortress, ready to swallow another victim. It emphasizes the sinister reputation of the Bastille as a place where people disappeared without trial and without investigation.

Interestingly, the expression \"Lettre de cachet\" — \"seal letter\" — has been preserved in the language. This was a royal decree that allowed a person to be confined 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 figurative sense, it indicates any unjust order or decision.

Folk Sayings and Proverbs

The Bastille left not only serious but also ironic traces in the folk memory. For example, there is a humorous saying: \"Don't be afraid of Mordeuont and the Bastille\" — a hint that anyone can end up in prison, even the most distinguished person. And among the fans of Alexander Dumas's creativity, there is another witticism: \"Measure seven times, fortify one Belle-Isle\" — a parody of the well-known proverb, where instead of \"cut\" the name of another fortress related to the plots of the musketeers is used.

Of course, there are many idioms related to the Revolution and July 14 in France. For example, the phrase \"Les carottes sont cuites\" (\"the carrots are cooked\") means that the matter is settled and there is no turning back — roughly as after the taking of the Bastille. And the motto \"Liberty. Equality. Fraternity\" has become not just a slogan but a saying that is quoted around 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 replies: \"I didn't take it!\" Then — a chain reaction: the teacher is angry, the deputy headmaster is confused, the director is desperate. This anecdote lives 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, did I take it or not, but I didn't bring it home.\"

Another popular dialogue:

— Why did you get a failing grade, son? — For the Bastille, papa! — What is that? — A fortress like that. — How many degrees? — I don't know, we took it by storm. — So strong, you know!

These jokes are funny precisely because of their absurdity: the child takes the historical event for a 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 a good laugh.

There are also such jokes in the English-speaking world. For example: \"Why does the French Revolution resemble 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 fun).

Foreign Humor: Puns and Punishment

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

• \"Why did the baguette go to a party? Because it wanted to 'rise' to the occasion\" (rise — both to rise and to approach).
• \"Bastille Day without cheese — it's un-brie-lievable!\" (un-brie-lievable — unbelievable).
• \"What was the favorite dish of the French Revolution? Liberty éclair!\" (liberty éclair — a play on words with éclair and liberty).
• \"Why do French bakers bake extra bread on Bastille Day? Because they know that everyone will 'storm' their bakery!\"

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

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 day of the Bastille take was in vain\" has become one of the most quoted film quotations in the Runet. It is used when one wants to joke about a missed celebration or a failed party. And in the English-speaking part of social networks, there are pictures with captions like \"Bastille Day: the one holiday where storming something is actually encouraged\" (\"Bastille Day: the only holiday where storming something is actually encouraged\").

Memes and jokes about the Bastille are not just entertainment. They show how an historical event, separated from us by centuries, continues to live in the language and culture. We laugh at the Bastille because it no longer scares but inspires — 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 phraseologicalisms like \"take the Bastille\" to absurd school anecdotes, from philosophical quotations of classics to internet memes — the fortress that once symbolized tyranny has become a symbol of the people's wit. And perhaps this is the best victory of the revolution: to turn even the darkest symbol into an occasion for a smile.

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