<P> In 1839 Alphonse Karr became editor of Le Figaro , to which he had been a constant contributor ; and he also started a monthly journal , Les Guêpes , of a keenly satirical tone , a publication which brought him the reputation of a somewhat bitter wit . His epigrams are frequently quoted , for example `` plus ça change , plus c'est la même chose '' -- `` the more it changes , the more it 's the same thing '' , usually translated as `` the more things change , the more they stay the same , '' ( Les Guêpes , January 1849 ) . On the proposal to abolish capital punishment , `` je veux bien que messieurs les assassins commencent '' -- `` let the gentlemen who do the murders take the first step '' . </P>
<P> In 1839 Alphonse Karr became editor of Le Figaro , to which he had been a constant contributor ; and he also started a monthly journal , Les Guêpes , of a keenly satirical tone , a publication which brought him the reputation of a somewhat bitter wit . His epigrams are frequently quoted , for example `` plus ça change , plus c'est la même chose '' -- `` the more it changes , the more it 's the same thing '' , usually translated as `` the more things change , the more they stay the same , '' ( Les Guêpes , January 1849 ) . On the proposal to abolish capital punishment , `` je veux bien que messieurs les assassins commencent '' -- `` let the gentlemen who do the murders take the first step '' . </P>
french for the more things change the more they stay the same
french for the more things change the more they stay the same
`` plus ça change , plus c'est la même chose ''
`` plus ça change , plus c'est la même chose ''