Millefleur

[skinem]

mille·fleur

Variant(s): or mille·fleurs /(")mEl-'fl&r, -'flur/
Function: adjective
Etymology: French mille-fleurs, from mille fleurs a thousand flowers
: having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants <millefleur tapestry>

I figured the literal meaning of the compound word--had no idea it had anything to with an "allover pattern".

[gailr]

Had you hobnobbed with royalty during Louis XIV's reign, you would have encountered l'Eau de Mille fleurs (among competing scents both more and less pleasant) at his court. The name is more poetic than accurate, as mille fleur blends depend on the perfumer; one calls for only three essential oils: orange rind (usually described as Essence of Portugal - plus exotiques, non?) lavender and fennel. (And not even 1000 drops of those three.)

A related word appeared: mirliflore, somewhat less reputable than a dandy or a fop.

Jean-Louis Fargeon created Le Bouquet Aux Mille Fleurs for a customer named Marie-Antoinette. She merited more than three oils: recreations of that recipe include bergamot, orris, rose, jasmine, tuberose, lavender, violet, orange blossom, cedarwood, sandalwood, Tonkin musk, ambergris, and galbanum. There's enough heavy scent going there to perfume leather. (Scroll about 2/3 down for PEAU d'ESPAGNE)

-gailr
who plays mad perfume scientist with a queen's ransom of exotic little apothecary bottles...

[Perry]

Is there no limit to your encyclopedic knowledge?

[gailr]

My limits are infinite, Perry.
It's better to check facts (and spelling!), particularly for areas of interest, before citing them. This past weekend I broke out the mad scientist lab to test a new recipe for Colorado-desert-strength eye protection.

Our components may be 4.5-ish billion years old; that's no reason to look our age.

-gailr
not going quietly into that good night...