I can only conclude that this is directly related to the fact that you were looking up all these cool words on my birthday. ;) The French would argue that it's because of Bastille's (sp?) day, but they historically never win anything unless they're competing with themselves, so we all know better. Unless, perhaps, we want to award them an earworm somehow. That could account for the sales of millions of albums by 50 Cent, the Spice Girls, Hanson, et al. despite the glaringly small percentage of US citizens who will admit to owning them...we've been sending them to France!