Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The conventional school study and use of the French language.
- To speak French.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun dated, humorous Someone who speaks a foreign language, especially
French - verb intransitive, dated, humorous To speak a
foreign language , especiallyFrench .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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` ` Well, it's been nice to stop and parleyvoo a second.
Babbitt 1922
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Well, its been nice to stop and parleyvoo a second.
Chapter 3 1922
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"She kem at once," said Tagg, "an 'they began to parleyvoo as quick as you like --"
The Wheel O' Fortune Louis Tracy 1895
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I can't parleyvoo with him, but he's an honest rogue for a Frenchman, and 'twas he brought off my young
The Chaplet of Pearls Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862
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Mr. Pinchin could understand French, though he spoke it but indifferently; but he, being fairly Primed, and in one of his Obstinate Moods, musters up his best parleyvoo, and tells the Ancient with the Golden Key (and I saw that he had another one hung round his neck by a parcel chain, and conjectured him to be a High Chamberlain at least) to go to the Devil.
The Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous, Vol. 2 of 3 Who was a sailor, a soldier, a merchant, a spy, a slave among the moors... George Augustus Sala 1861
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Telemaque, every morning, and he kept six French masters to teach him to parleyvoo.
Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 1 Thomas Babington Macaulay Macaulay 1829
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“Well, it’s been nice to stop and parleyvoo a second.
Babbit 2004
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“You won’t blow the gab? — that’s why you couldn’t have your parleyvoo this morning.
Australia Felix 2003
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"Well, it's been nice to stop and parleyvoo a second.
Babbitt Sinclair Lewis 1918
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