Packing or Packing: Which Phrase to Choose?
Whether singular or plural, the word "luggage" describes the complete panoply of the traveler. We pack when we plan to go far: to Kathmandu to burn incense dressed as hippies, to Rome to ride a scooter with Audrey Hepburn, or to Capri to make sure it's over .
A suitcase, a sign of an imminent return
Jacques Brel did not need any luggage when he went to Vierzon via Vesoul, his secretary probably told those looking for him "He's on the move. He is packing his suitcase. He's coming back tomorrow." Indeed, if we pack our bags, we are not going far. And that we'll be back soon. When Madame returns to her mother, she does not empty her wardrobe, she puts the minimum in a small suitcase or two. She will eventually come and pick up the rest if the crisis lasts. On this subject, it is amusing to point out that when you pack up, you pack your bags.
Luggage for a distant journey
Luggage makes you dream of "Elsewhere", because "There, everything is order and beauty, Luxury, calm and voluptuousness" (Charles Baudelaire, The Invitation to travel). And since a great trip deserves better than a common backpack: it's at the Bagagerie and not at the Valiserie that you choose your luggage. Demanding, Madame makes sure to match her vanity case to her bag. The panoply of the soldier on a mission is more complete because he leaves with arms and luggage.
Also readIn 1879, Le Figaro took part in an excursion organized by Thomas Cook in Paris
To have your luggage transported, you need the services of a porter, who is the luggage carrier at airports. But if you are in a psychological mess and dragging emotional suitcases, the latter will not be able to do anything for you. And if your intellectual baggage is judged to be too light, you are not likely to be penalized! For once, you can make people envious... Anyone who sees big travels with a cabin trunk. If he's only going around the corner for a few hours getaway, the fuck-in-town will suffice. Very small, but with immense evocative power.
Excerpt from The Shades of the French Language. Find the entire book on our Figaro Store.
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