parleyvoo

British  

/ ˌpɑːlɪˈvuː /

verb

1. to speak French

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noun

1. the French language

2. a Frenchman

Etymology

Origin of parleyvoo

C20: jocular respelling of parlez-vous ( français ) ? do you speak (French)?

Example Sentences

Now, Mister Parleyvoo—can't you do something to amuse the company?

From Project Gutenberg

“Not me, faith,” sez I. “If it’s duellin’ ye want you’ll have to go to another shop, Monsieur Parleyvoo, for it ain’t in my line.

From Project Gutenberg

You won't blow the gab?—that's why you couldn't have your parleyvoo this morning.

From Project Gutenberg

The colonel was a very singular old fellow; he used to learn a page of Chambaud's grammar, and to translate Telemaque, every morning, and he kept six French masters to teach him to parleyvoo.

From Project Gutenberg

And then he looks at me close, and then he takes off his hayseed hat, and says, in a different voice: "I'd like to shake hands with Parleyvoo Pickens, the greatest street man in the West, barring only Montague Silver, which you can no more than allow."

From Project Gutenberg