Failure

I have mentioned the dictionary at reference 1 more than once. But today it failed.

Started off badly by noticing an odd expression in the new Maigret, 'La Danseuse du Gai-Moulin', and marking it down mentally for checking later. In the event, it must have taken me about an hour to find it again, my book mark having moved on and my memory having decided that the phrase in question was part of the mum moaning at her son about his late nights and bad company, and so only checking those bits. Whereas the phrase was actually used by a policeman during the course of the son's first interrogation.

Then reference 1 clearly had not got a clue about 'une vie de bâton de chaise'. So I pop the phrase into google and he turns up half a dozen or more sites which claim to explain it.

It turns out that a 'bâton de chaise' is one of the two poles used to carry a sedan chair, with the idea being that these poles are always being taken in and out - one can only open the doors when they are out - and the sort of life indicated is a rackety sort of life, irregular hours, in and out of low bars and dives.

Which does not strike me as a particularly good locution, not up to Simenon's usual standard at all - but I dare say common enough in his day.

PS: I am getting the impression from these stories that Simenon had quite a taste for the working class prostitutes of his day. That he liked vulgar, flashy, fleshy and coarse. The sort of girl who would give as good as she got.

Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/briar.html.