Today, I learnt the meaning of the phrase "ménage à trois". I had always thought it was synonymous with "fiasco" and have used it several times in essays. FML
johobus28 tells us more.
johobus28 26
As embarrassing as it was to learn the actual meaning, I have to agree with you guys. I probably should have looked up the actual meaning before using it. I can usually deduct the meaning of a word pretty well without googling it, but that evidently was not the case here. Fortunately, I never used it on major, college-acceptance essays or anything. Only minor high school assignments. I'll be sure to google a word before I use it next time! Thanks for my first FML guys
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Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
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Top comments
MandieL 27
A ménage à trois (French for "household of three") is a domestic arrangement in which three people having romantic and/or sexual relations with each other occupy the same household. It is a form of polyamory.
Gaernem 17
Looks like all of those essays were a fiasco.
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Comments (71)
worldclassrager 41
Sorry but fail...major fail
fmljosh1015 20
HAHAHAHA YOU DESERVE IT! Did you never think to look it up?! Especially if you're putting it in an essay
Joshawott 21
Well, that's quite the ménage á trois, isn't it? :P
ftloosenfanzfree 7
I see a lot of people question why you wouldn't look it up before using it in an essay, which is ridiculous. If you think you know what something means, why would you bother to look it up? My question is--didn't you have to look it up to know how to spell it???
Vanilla_Cupcake 10
Don't use words or phrases if you don't know the meaning or aren't sure. Just look them up.
Brightbulb 40
Am I the only one who wants to know how the OP finally found out? I'm imagining some poor teacher having to explain it while remaining PC. I really want to know how you found out OP!
CharlieM78 9
This is the age of Google. You have no excuse for not knowing stuff.
johobus28 26
As embarrassing as it was to learn the actual meaning, I have to agree with you guys. I probably should have looked up the actual meaning before using it. I can usually deduct the meaning of a word pretty well without googling it, but that evidently was not the case here. Fortunately, I never used it on major, college-acceptance essays or anything. Only minor high school assignments. I'll be sure to google a word before I use it next time! Thanks for my first FML guys
BeccaSedai 7
You might want to check the meaning of the word "deduct" while you're at it. Pretty sure you mean deduce. Hopefully it's just a typo.
laurellkawes 31
#96, guess he can't since is still using the wrong words. LOL!! I still don't know how he thought it meant fiasco when "trois" means three in French
marcranger 29
Honestly, OP, if any of my college students had known the word "fiasco" and been able to use it properly in a sentence, I probably wouldn't have quit teaching! Sure, looking up unfamiliar words is always a good call, but it sounds like you're able to express yourself clearly and eloquently as it is. Don't worry as much about trying to impress your audience, and you'll do just fine.
jazzy_123 20
reminds me of when I was in 4th grade, a classmate would use the "@" thinking it was "&" and I knew she was wrong but was to embarrassed to ever tell her lol she would use it all the time!!!
Wraith09 15
And "learnt". WTF. The word is "learned". In no case in the English language does a letter "T" replace "ed" to form the past tense.
Sunflower1919 19
#119, what about the word "burnt". Past tense of "burn". Which can also be "burned". English is one hell of a language
dangermouse2990 19
It's Deduce, but I'm pretty sure OP still has pretty good writing skills...
CaitiieBuggs 23
It's okay, OP. In middle school we were asked to name all the birds that started with the letter D, and I brilliantly turned in my paper with '***** bird' at the top of the list.
Lars93 18
ménage a trois means household of 3 ménage à trios means threesome
smartasssusie 4
not surprised, since you use "learnt" instead of " learned"
dragoongirl90 34
Learnt is perfectly acceptable from a British stand point. Like spelling colour with a "u".