Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Le Carre

Le Carre

6 8.6
A name a writer uses instead of their real name, used by the English writer John le Carré
  • proper noun
  • /lə ˈkɑːreɪ/
: Le Carré
  • The works of Le Carre often explore moral ambiguity in the world of espionage.

Examples

  • I have read every book by Le Carre and admire his intricate plots.

  • Many critics consider Le Carre to be a master of the modern spy novel.

  • The famous author Le Carre wrote many bestsellers.

  • Did you read Le Carré's latest novel?

  • The film "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is based on a novel by Le Carre.

  • Many readers consider Le Carre a master of espionage fiction.

  • Critics have praised Le Carre for his realistic portrayal of Cold War spycraft.

Surface Forms

Le Carre main
Le Carré main

Morphology

Le + Carre

This is a proper name / pen name referring to a specific author, so its referent (the novelist John le Carré) cannot be inferred from the constituent forms. Even if a learner recognised French 'le' or 'carré' ('the', 'square'), that linguistic knowledge would not allow them to derive the MWE's meaning or referent, making it non-compositional and unpredictable.

Etymology

Le Carre was chosen by the writer David Cornwell as a pen name to hide his real name and give his spy books a quiet, European feel. In French, le carré means 'the square', and that slightly formal, mysterious sound helped create the secretive author image he wanted.