Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
Menu icoMenu232Dark icoCross32Dark
<
>
  • Lost in Translation
  • E-Library - Culturethèque
  • Frantastique
  • Raleigh Accueil
  • Photo Gallery

Add a logo, a button or social media links

Edit
icoFacebook24Color icoTwitter24Color icoYoutube24Color icoLinkedin24Color icoInstagram24Color icoPinterest24Color
  • Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
  • Alliance Française Raleigh-Durham-Chapel-Hill
  • About Us ▴▾
    • Home
    • Who we are
    • Board & Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Learn French ▴▾
    • Group Classes
    • 2023 Spring Schedule
    • Specialty Classes
    • Private Tutoring
    • Class Registration
    • Placement Test
    • French Textbooks
  • TEF Certification ▴▾
    • TEF Certification
    • PrepMyFuture!
    • TEF Registration
  • Events ▴▾
    • Upcoming Events
    • 2023 Haiku Contest in Schools
    • Club Ados
    • New! Trip to France
    • Host a French Teen
    • Newsletters
  • Membership ▴▾
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer
  • Donate ▴▾
  • Resources ▴▾
    • Lost in Translation
    • E-Library - Culturethèque
    • Frantastique
    • Raleigh Accueil
    • Photo Gallery
  • Log in
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Board & Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Group Classes
  • 2023 Spring Schedule
  • Specialty Classes
  • Private Tutoring
  • Class Registration
  • Placement Test
  • French Textbooks
  • TEF Certification
  • PrepMyFuture!
  • TEF Registration
  • Upcoming Events
  • 2023 Haiku Contest in Schools
  • Club Ados
  • New! Trip to France
  • Host a French Teen
  • Newsletters
  • Become a Member
  • Volunteer
  • Lost in Translation
  • E-Library - Culturethèque
  • Frantastique
  • Raleigh Accueil
  • Photo Gallery
Lost in Translation E-Library - Culturethèque Frantastique Raleigh Accueil Photo Gallery
Back
La lanterne rouge

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter
icoCross16Dark

La lanterne rouge

Être la lanterne rouge - to be the red lantern - means to come last in a ranking, or list. The expression is mostly used to describe a person, or group, trailing behind the others in a given situation.  The red lanterns are not just coming last, they are also clearly, or even significantly, behind the others.

The phrase is commonly used in the sporting world to refer to a contestant or a team placing last in a competition.  The connotation in sports is less negative than it is in everyday language; it does not mean that the last in a ranking is perceived as being a "loser," just that he/she placed last in a race.

A question that may come to mind is: why would the one holding the lantern be last in line?  Wouldn't you expect them to be first instead?

Origin

This expression is fairly recent. It was coined in the early days of railways when red lanterns would be hung from the last railcar on a train.  Signalmen would look for this light in order to make sure none of the couplings had become disconnected and no railcar had been left behind.

It was popularized by the Tour de France which, since its first race in 1903, has used the term lanterne rouge to refer to the competitor who finishes in last place.  A bad place, you may think.  Well, not necessarily.  In fact, cyclists sometimes compete for the title of the lanterne rouge when they know they will not rank high on the Tour de France.  The red lantern status will provide them with more media attention than if they were to finish a few places ahead.  You may see photos of the ‘winner’ of the title completing a lap of honour in Paris holding a red lantern handed to him by photographers or spectators.

Why would one want to celebrate failure?  It is hard to know exactly why the Red Lantern title has gained so much popularity throughout the years.  But all those fans can’t be completely wrong.  Maybe they cheer him on because they feel for the underdog, or because they feel that, in the peloton of superhumans, riding across whole mountain ranges and countries at impossible speeds, the Lanterne Rouge is the most like them, the most human.  And he never gave up.  Against all odds, he crossed the finish line. That, in itself, commands respect.

storage?id=2529928&type=picture&secret=D0OxWstXqPqMXI9IXVPyogqqrs8dF1Bh2gwEBhP9&timestamp=1658363338
icoFacebook35Color icoTwitter35Color icoLinkedin35Color
icoFacebook35Color icoTwitter35Color icoLinkedin35Color
See also
Appuyer sur le champignon

Appuyer sur le champignon

Do you often dream of stepping on the gas when you drive?  Then this common vegetable expression...

March 14, 2023
Faire la pluie et le beau temps

Faire la pluie et le beau temps

Wouldn't you feel powerful if you could control the weather?  Faire la pluie et le beau temps -...

Claire BARTHELEMY
February 20, 2023
Pour des prunes

Pour des prunes

Une prune is a plum - not to be confused with un pruneau, a prune.  While this lovely fruit is...

January 17, 2023
À la queue leu leu

À la queue leu leu

The poetry of those words!  They are a favorite of preschoolers.  But you will also hear them in...

December 27, 2022
Une image d'Epinal

Une image d'Epinal

When you’re told that you're providing une image d'Epinal - an Épinal print - it means you only...

Claire BARTHELEMY
December 6, 2022
Un coup de main

Un coup de main

Every once in a while, you come across a vocabulary word with a lot of potential. The French...

Claire BARTHELEMY
November 7, 2022
Alliance Française of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
5510 Munford Road, Raleigh, NC 27612
frenchallianceraleigh@gmail.com
More
  • Contact Us
icoFacebook24Color icoTwitter24Color icoYoutube24Color icoLinkedin24Color icoInstagram24Color icoPinterest24Color
  • Site map
  • Licenses
  • Legal notice
  • T&C
  • Configure cookies
  • Log in
  • Powered by Springly, created with 💙 for organizations everywhere