my favorite part of this word is that 3 french students responded "moi"
I think in America we all like to pretend we are middle class and no one
wants to elite. look at our election rhetoric - it is supposed to be bad
that Kerry is part of a "new england elite." This explains that my
french friend isn't being arrogant when she calls herself exceptional.
she's just being french!

I agree with Lauren's interpretation. Why do you think we (Americans)
believe "elite" is bad? Does this stem from our struggle to escape
monarchy and achieve independence? And if so, why do the French feel
that "elite" has positive connotations?

I think it is ironic that "elite" has a positive connotation among the
French, because (correct me if I'm wrong), weren't the elite despised
during the French Revolution, and weren't many of them killed during
that time? Then what changed since that time to give "elite" a positive
connotation?

Elite pour les Américains signifie argent, pouvoir ! A l'inverse, Elite
expose pour nous : l'armée, les grandes écoles ... Les lieux ou sont
formés nos élites ! Nous savons en France qui sont nos élites, à
l'inverse des Américains qui ne le savent pas. Ils définissent Elite
comme le pouvoir ce qui est une vision assez péjorative en France !

Funny, when I think of elite I don't associate it with a social aspect..
"upper class" would be the word for me. Rather, I think of
extraordinarily high skill levels in some field when I hear the word
elite.. like in sports, or studies. This may sound a little arrogant,
but as MIT students we are not the "elite" of acadameic community? I
worked my back off to get here and I think I earned the right to be one
the elite! This applies everywhere.. who doesn't want to be one of the
elit in track or soccer or whatever you do .. Perhaps I have a more
"french" definition of this world.

I definitely agree with ChaLing's interpretation. Most Americans do
associate the word "elite" with socioeconomic status, however I think of
the word like ChaLing does. To me, an elite is just someone that excels
at something, or does really good in something. I mean, if you read the
sports section of any newspaper, you will read something like "Michael
Jordan is among the basketball playing elite." And when they say that,
they definitely do not mean money (although, Jordan would be an elite in
that sense too).

C trés interressant de voir la difference entre la vison votre vison qui
est plus portée d'un point de vue sociale avec une connotation de
celebrité alors que les francais sont plus orientés sur l'armée, le coté
scolaire, des grande ecole. Cependant certaines similitudes sur le coté
financier ou des millionnaires !!!

Yes, I was quite interested by your observation, Quentin. It seems
Americans associate "elite" with snobbish, therefore we think of movie
stars and other untouchable perfect people that seem like "superhumans."
But then, we think of students at the most prestigious schools,
soldiers, and the like as "elite" in their field or subject. This use of
elite has a different connotation, something more akin to "expert." I
find it strange that we have two connotations of this word. In this
case, what word first comes to your mind when you think of French movie
stars and millionaires?