“Vogue la galère” means “what will be, will be,” “come what may,” or “whatever happens, happens.” Literally the expression means something like “let the galley sail.” But the word “voguer” (to sail) originally meant to be pushed over the water by strength of oars. Galleys were ships powered by oarsmen and were used from antiquity until the 18th century.

No one knows the exact origin of this phrase, whose first examples of usage date to the 16th century, found in the works of Montaigne and Rabelais. However, according to Rabelais’ publisher, the phrase came from a sung poem of the era.

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