The documentary shows Carle – realizing he is addicted to his iPhone – smashing it with a brand-new French-made Tefal saucepan, while his girlfriend shrieks: “Are you crazy? Those are new pans!” Carle tells viewers his aim is to “save the French economy. After all, I like Mission Impossible.” He admits the experiment was part serious and part jest. At one point, he consults a French language expert to check if he should keep using “cool” and other Anglicisms – he was advised to swap it for the nearest French equivalent: “chouette.” On discovering France makes no refrigerators (apart from wine coolers) or televisions, but is big in airplane seats and windmills, he sighs and says: “Great. Nothing that will fit into my apartment.”
What is true of the English word “cool”?
Carle used to use it It comes from the French word “chouette” French television ads for refrigerators often use it It started being used in France in the 20th century