Brewer's: Becarre, Bemol

Sauter de bécarre en bémol (French), to jump from one subject to another without regard to pertinence; “Sauter du coq à l'ane,” from Genesis to Revelation. Literally, to jump from sharps to flats. Becarre is the Latin B quadratum or B quarré. In old musical notation B sharp was expressed by a square B, and B flat by a round B.

Bémol is B mollis, soft (flat).

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