Word up Your French: bémol
"Good news Houston, we can see the Moon! There's a slight bémol though: our oxygen tank just exploded" is what could have been said by the Apollo 13 crew, if they had been French.
What exactly does it mean?
The word 'bémol' comes from the music terminology. Originally, it is a graphic sign written before a note on a sheet music to indicate that the note should be lowered in pitch by a semitone.
The word surfaced in everyday French with the expression 'mettre un bémol' (to put a bémol) which is used when someone wants to temper enthusiasm.
"We have reason to celebrate Thomas's high score, however I want to put a bemol: let's keep in mind that he only ended up second in the competition."
By extension, the word has come to have roughly the same signification as 'problem'.
"We're leaving for Spain tomorrow! The only bémol is that it's going to be raining all week."
Where does this amazing word come from?
Bémol comes from Latin 'b mol' (soft b), where b refers to the note 'si' and mol (same as 'mou' in French) means 'soft'. The B/si note is the first that has been lowered by a semitone. The 'bémol' has then been applied to all the other notes.
Now how am I supposed to use it?
Unlike the word 'problem', bémol is used in comparision with something positive.
You cannot say: "Hi, I'm calling you because there is a bémol with my order."
But you can say: "Hi, I'm calling to tell you that the shoes you sent me are great, however there's a slight bémol: I ordered a dress."
Oh and NB: you cannot 'have a bémol' ; you should say 'je mets un bémol' (I'm adding a bémol) or 'il y a un bémol' (there's a bémol).