The White Shoe Irregular:
It was fun while it lasted.

How French People Handle the Unfamiliar

Neil Whitaker

In English, when we encounter something unfamiliar, we might be inclined to say, "What's that?"

A French person in the same situation would likely ask, "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ca?"

These few syllables, translated literally into English, read, "What is this that this is that this there?"