Down and Out in Paris and London Terms

Boulot is a term for the imitation of good service commonly found in expensive restaurants that, according to George Orwell, is basically a sham. This aesthetic is on full display at both the Hotel… read analysis of Boulot

Also referred to in the text as a “spike,” casual wards are prison-like London homeless shelters where men are given food and a room for the night, sometimes in return for manual labor. Orwell meets… read analysis of Casual Ward

George Orwell uses this French term to characterize the seemingly limitless resourcefulness of plongeurs and other low-level restaurant workers toiling away in the “smart” hotels and restaurants of Paris. Since their pay is low, their… read analysis of Debrouillard

George Orwell works as a plongeur, or dishwasher, at both the Hotel X and Auberge in Paris. The job is back-breaking and, in Orwell’s estimation, completely without purpose. Plongeurs exist only because smart restaurants do… read analysis of Plongeur