Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

after you, alphonse

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.84 in modern English

Syllables: af-ter y-ou, alphonse
IPA

27

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

3

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

An exchange indicating excessive formality or effort at politeness, particularly where two people each refuse to go forward because each insists on allowing the other to go forward first.

Example Sentences

"And two French sisters performed a delightful after-you-Alphonse routine when they came in first and second in the women's slalom, then took the same top places, in reversed order, in the giant slalom."
"As this tortuous wording suggests, models and their reflections keep reversing in the mirror, in a sort of “after you, Alphonse—no, after you” exchange."

Etymology

Paraphrase of a line in Alphonse and Gaston, an American comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper.

Phrases

Alphonse and Gaston after you

Frequently Paired Words

Alphonse and Gaston after you

Questions

What does after you, alphonse mean?: An exchange indicating excessive formality or effort at politeness, particularly where two people each refuse to go forward because each insists on allowing the other to go forward first.
Where does after you, alphonse come from?: Paraphrase of a line in Alphonse and Gaston, an American comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper.

How to pronounce after you, alphonse

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