Rafe, Meet Jacques

In the Maudit Français Department:

"Three months away from his expected retirement, President Chirac has for the first time confirmed his appetite for extraconjugal affairs, saying that he loved many women in his lifetime “as discreetly as possible”.

"Amorous adventures have not played a determining role in my life. There have been women I have loved a lot, as discreetly as possible,” he said. Mr Chirac insisted that there had never been any question of leaving his wife, whom he met when both were students at the Political Sciences Institute in Paris." (Times of London)

When asked to comment, Rafe Fiennes was seen casually thumbing through the OED, looking for the definition of "discreet".