Concepts Archive

  • Poilu or Grognard?

    Poilu or Grognard?

    Poilu (pronounced /pwaly/ in French) is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard (grumbler)...

    Full Story

  • The most interesting clock

    The most interesting clock

    37|300 I found this marvellous device a few years back and have been fascinated by it ever since. There is something about it’s design that invokes the same kind of reaction in me that the Victorians would have had about the new technology of their...

    Full Story