Le défigement est-il une sorte de variation ?

The aim of this study is to compare the relation between two linguistic variants, on the one hand, and the link between an idiomatic expression and a diverted version, on the other. The notions of delocutivity and autonymy are reviewed, in order to clarify the linguistic status of a transformed idiomatic element. The blurred line between language and discourse is illustrated by diverted elements that have become idiomatic combinations, and by a review of some humoristic examples of word creation.