Macron thanks Australian PM’s ‘delicious wife’

Sydney : French President Emmanuel Macron caused a social media frenzy in Australia on Wednesday after he referred to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s wife as “delicious” while thanking them for their hospitality.

Macron made the awkward remark during a joint press conference with Turnbull at Kirribilli House in Sydney, ABC News Australia reported. He began his three-day visit to the country on Tuesday to discuss issues like climate change and defence.

Opting to speak in English, the French President said: “Thanks to you and your delicious wife for your warm welcome, the perfect organisation of this trip.”

The slip-up was quickly forgiven with Turnbull smiling and shaking hands with Macron. But the comment quickly caught the attention of social media users, who debated whether Macron was joking or had stumbled over his words.

“You can take the man out of France but…,” one Twitter user wrote, while another said: “Maybe he was talking about wine, I can’t be sure.”

There were others who said that Macron may have misused “delicious” because the French equivalent of the word “délicieux” is sometimes translated as “delightful” or “charming”.

Macron’s command over English is considered to be excellent. He addressed the US Congress in Washington last week that earned him a standing ovation and the praise of many on social media for his eloquence.

Published on May 2, 2018 at 17:04 IST

IANS