14 July 1789, the Parisian crowd took the fortress-prison Bastille by storm. This event resounded throughout the world and forever changed the course of history. But along with the revolution, Bastille gave birth to a whole layer of culture — persistent expressions, proverbs, sayings and countless jokes that still live today. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotes — the image of Bastille is firmly rooted in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom, but also of national humor.
The most famous persistent expression associated with Bastille is undoubtedly «take Bastille». In the 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, «her fall symbolized the end of the old world». This phrase has become a byword for any decisive action against injustice.
In literature, we encounter it in the most diverse 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, Bastille, which needs to be destroyed. — Bastille taken. The revolution has won.» Here Bastille acts as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must destroy.
Separate attention deserves the name «Bastille» itself (from French bastille — fortification), 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 abbreviated form «steel» was a favorite expression among the lower classes. In a metaphorical sense, «sitting in Bastille» meant being in detention, and «breaking out of Bastille» meant gaining freedom.
Perhaps the most famous phrase about Bastille in the post-Soviet space came not from history textbooks, but from cinema. In the film by Vladimir Menshov «Love and Pigeons» (1984), the character of Sergey Yursky — Uncle Mitya — pulls out a tear-off calendar and sighs despairingly: «I didn't drink, I didn't drink! Although there is a reason — Bastille Day went to waste!».
This remark has become a real aphorism. Thousands of people mention the French national holiday just like that — as an occasion to drink that was missed. The phrase «Bastille Day went to waste» has long outgrown the boundaries of the film and turned into a persistent expression indicating a missed opportunity for a celebration or a feast. Sometimes it is quoted 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 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 knowing it, continued the centuries-old tradition — turning the symbol of tyranny into a place for fun.
In Russian classics, Bastille has not gone unnoticed either. In Mikhail Bulgakov's play «Kabala svyatosh», the hero exclaims: «Accept, wet Bastille!». This expression sounds like a curse or a call to judgment — the image of a wet, dark fortress that is ready to swallow another victim. It emphasizes the sinister reputation of Bastille as a place where people disappeared without trial or investigation.
Interestingly, the expression «Lettre de cachet» — «letter with a seal» has also been preserved in the language. This was a royal decree that allowed a person to be imprisoned in Bastille without trial, by the personal order of the monarch. The phrase itself has become a symbol of tyranny and lawlessness, and in a metaphorical sense, it denotes any unjust order or decision.
In popular memory, Bastille has left not only serious, but also ironic traces. For example, there is a humorous proverb: «Don't swear off Morдаунта and Bastille» — a hint that anyone can end up in prison, even the most noble person. And in the circles of admirers of Alexander Dumas's work, there is another witticism: «Measure seven times, strengthen one Belle-Ile» — a parody on the well-known proverb, where instead of «cut off» the name of another fortress associated with the plots of the Musketeers is used.
In France, of course, there are many idioms related to the Revolution and July 14. 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 Bastille. And the slogan «Liberty. Equality. Brotherhood» has become not just a slogan, but a catchphrase that is quoted around the world.
The most popular joke about Bastille is undoubtedly the classic school anecdote. The teacher asks the student: «Who took Bastille?» The student honestly answers: «I didn't take it!» Then follows a chain reaction: the teacher is angry, the vice-principal 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 double, son? — For Bastille, dad! — What is that? — A fortress like that. — How many degrees? — I don't know, they took it by storm. — That's it, a tough 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 harmless laughter.
In the English-speaking world, there are also its own puns. For example: «Why does the French Revolution resemble a dry law? Because 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).
You can find hundreds of jokes about Bastille on the internet, built on wordplay. Here are a few examples from English-language websites:
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», so called the revolutionaries). The sharpness, of course, is on the edge of a fault, but it perfectly illustrates how an historical image can turn into an occasion for flirting.
Today the image of Bastille lives not only in anecdotes, but also in internet memes. The phrase «Bastille Day went to waste» has become one of the most quoted film catchphrases in the Runet. It is used when you want 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 Bastille are not just entertainment. They show how a historical event, separated from us by centuries, continues to live in language and culture. We laugh at Bastille because it no longer scares us, but inspires — for freedom, for a celebration, and even for a good joke.
Bastille has long been destroyed, but its image lives in thousands of expressions, proverbs and jokes. From serious phraseologicalisms like «take 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 national 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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