Some in American media talk of 'homicide bombing'. Why? They mean a bombing where someone commits suicide in killing others.Most bombings are homicides, or intended to be, whether the bombing by truck bomb, aircraft or any other means. Why don't they say 'suicide bombing'? In Britain we say that. In France the term is more apposite: in French we talk of 'kamikaze' from the Japanese 'divine wind' suicide pilots of World War II.(Though the French are officially wary of imported words, the more so if these are English,in practice they adopt them neatly, if not always plainly. The word 'un before' has just come into use. It means the drinks and informal reception before a main event such as a film premiere, a soccer international,or a night out in some club elsewhere .)

So the French say 'un before' and the English say 'an aperitif'. Cool, n'est pas?

Yes,indeed.But the French haven't got a word for aperitif (in this sense).French aperitif is only a drink taken immediately before a meal, seen as part of the dining; a digestif is one taken at the end of the meal. The French have never had the idea of getting a load of drink inside themselves before going on to some separate event, which may or may not involve eating. That's why their young people have taken this word 'before'. Their British counterparts commonly shift a lot of booze in the evening before deciding exactly where they are going on to!They meet in a pub or at someone's home first then settle on which club or clubs they'll head for.And the pubs within reach of soccer grounds are heaving with fans taking their [French] 'befores' for some hours before going on to the stadium.

I can't ever see myself saying "un before", though it certainly is in common use these days in certain circles. I remember being invited to "prendre l'apéro" by an elderly couple in Paris back in January 1980. This site might have helped me out back then:
http://www.isaveurs.com/mag/pw_mag.php?theme=dossier&th...&thepartsubid=3Point taken about the drink-drink-drink attitude so prevalent in the UK these days Fred, but l'heure de l'aapéritif is very much a ritual in France still. Hey, our neighbours have just issued just such an invitation; not unlike the British "Come round for drinks on Friday night" style utterance. I would certainly expect something to eat, to go along with the liquid stuff.

That said, Colin, I had to smile when I was invited to just such a reception at an art gallery in Antibes. I don't drink. The look of bemusement on the face of the host and others present was a sight. They did not have so much as a bottle of Badoit [sparkling water] for me. Surely everyone should have at least a glass of wine because, well,that's how it is in France Perhaps next time I should give notice of my 'dietary requirements' !