Champs Elysees
6
5.0
- proper noun
- His big goal for Paris is to grab a Velib bike and ride it down the Champs Elysees in his school cycling jersey—big points in the class "one-upmanship" competition!
Examples
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The Champs Elysees is famous for its beautiful trees and is often bustling with people.
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I hear that McDonald's is openin' up a store on the Champs Elysees.
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And there's no point in telling someone to go to the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower or the Champs Elysees, because no one's going to go there and somehow miss those things.
Blog text (19) -
While in Paris, we strolled along the Champs Elysees, admiring the elegant shops and cafes.
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Many tourists visit the Champs Elysees to take pictures and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Champs + Elysees
This is a French proper name (Champs-Élysées) rather than a compositional English phrase; a B1 learner who knows the literal parts would at best get something like 'Elysian fields' but would not infer that it denotes a specific broad, famous avenue in Paris with cultural/touristic significance. The expression is lexicalized as a toponym and its referent and cultural meaning are therefore not derivable from the constituent words.
Etymology
Champs Elysees comes from French words: Champs means 'fields' and Elysees refers to the 'Elysian Fields' in old Greek stories, a peaceful place for heroes. That image of a wide, pleasant field helps explain why the name is used for the famous, elegant avenue in Paris.