Cherchez la femme

The expression comes from the novel The Mohicans of Paris (Les Mohicans de Paris) published 1854–1859 by Alexandre Dumas (père). The phrase is repeated several times in the novel; the first use reads: Dumas also used the phrase in his 1864 theatrical adaptation: == In popular culture ==

• In his 1963 detective novel The Chill, Ross Macdonald's sleuth Lew Archer offers a wry analysis of the concept, stating: "When a woman is murdered, you ask her estranged husband where he was at the time. It's the corollary of cherchez la femme." • In the 1974 film Chinatown, Evelyn Mulwray, Faye Dunaway's character, attempts to suss out J. J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson's character) by murmuring "cherchez la femme" to him in bed, insinuating that a woman is why he left the LAPD. • A character (a mud turtle) in the comic strip Pogo is named "Churchill 'Churchy' LaFemme". • A Big Band-inspired Disco collective known as Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band recorded a song called "Cherchez La Femme", which was their biggest hit, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Disco chart in 1976, the year it was released. • In the 2010 action role-playing game Fallout: New Vegas, players can select the perk "Cherchez La Femme" for female protagonists, indicating a sapphic sexual orientation that expands same-sex dialogue options and gives a combat bonus against female NPCs. == See also ==