Jackie’s column "Pensées d’une Petite Fille de France" (Thoughts of a Little Girl from France) is back. My seven-year-old talks about rainbows, or "les arcs-en-ciel." The English translation follows. un arc (ark) noun, masculine1. bow, arc, curve, arch Also:le tir à l’arc = archeryun arc-en-ciel = a rainbowune scie à l’arc = a bow sawl’arc des sourcils = the arch of the eyebrowsun arc roman/brisé, … Continue reading un arc
dépayser (day-pay-ee-zay) verb 1. to disorientate, to disorient 2. to give a change of scenery to; to give a welcome change of surroundings to Also:dépaysant,e = exoticdépaysé = out of one's elementun dépaysement = a disorientation Expressions:sentir dépaysé = to feel like a fish out of water; to not feel at home Citation du Jour Les passions s'étiolent quand on les dépayse.Passions wilt when we … Continue reading dépayser
une contrefaçon (kontr-fah-sahn) noun, feminine 1. imitation, counterfeit, counterfeiting 2. forging, forgery, fabrication, infringement 3. pirating Contrefaçon comes from the verb “contrefaire” which means to imitate, to falsify, to mimic, to disguise, to infringe, to feign or to distort Expressions: contrefaçon littéraire = an infringement of copyright contrefaire une signature = to forge a signature contrefaire sa voix = to disguise one’s voice saisir des … Continue reading une contrefaçon
Jean-Marc and I celebrated ten years of marriage this past weekend. Don’t miss today’s story about how the bride almost missed her wedding. voile(vwal) noun, feminine 1. a sail voile (vwal) noun, masculine 1. a veil Also: un voile de mariée = a bride’s veil un bateau à voiles = a sailing boat un voile noir = a blackout (fainting) un voile de nuages = … Continue reading un voile
One of today’s expressions has to do with “to be kept waiting.” I didn’t want to keep a friend in India waiting to send wishes of a “Bonne fête de Ganesh”. Ganesh is the “le dieu” (the God) with “la tête d’éléphant” (the elephant’s head) and is the deity of knowledge and wisdom (of “le Savoir” and “la Sagesse”). Recently in Paris, more than 20,000 … Continue reading un poireau
My daughter Jackie turned seven ("l’âge de raison") on Saturday. She is back today with her column "Thoughts of a Little Girl from France" (in French and English). un écart (ay-kar) noun, masculine1. distance apart, gap Expressions:faire le grand écart = to do the splitsfaire un écart = to step asideun écart de conduite = a lapse of conduct, misdemeanorécarts de jeunesse = youthful indiscretionsun … Continue reading un écart
le coin (kwun –silent n) noun, masculine 1. corner 2. part 3. area Also: le coin bureau = the work area le coin repas = the dining area Expressions: les gens du coin = the locals coins et recoins = nooks and crannies va au coin! = go and stand in the corner! mettre un enfant au coin = to put a child in the … Continue reading coin
un rang (rah or rahng–silent n & g) noun, masculine 1. a row; line 2. a country road 3. station 4. rank Also: un rang de perles = a string or rope of pearls deux (trois, quatre…) jours de rang = two (three, four…) days in a row …………………….. Expressions: en rangs serrés = in close order de premier rang = first class, first rate … Continue reading un rang
We spent yesterday grape harvesting at Uncle Jean-Claude’s vineyard in Chateauneuf du Pape. More about that demain! la vendange (von-donzh) noun, feminine1. grape harvest; grapes (harvested); grape crop vendanger (von-don-zhay) verb1. to pick or to harvest grapes And:une vendangeuse, un vendangeur = a grape pickerune bonne vendange = a good vintageles vendanges = grape harvesting timeun vendangeoir = a grape-picker’s basketla vendange en vert = … Continue reading vendanger
Today’s column is in French and English and is written by my French friend Barbara. Remember her? She was jumping off cliffs in the “Illico” story three days ago. Today she leaves les falaises* behind and contemplates fur in her story “Fashion Victim.” Don’t miss it! fourré (foo-ray) adjective 1. fur-lined; fleece-lined 2. filled, filling, filling paste 3. thicket (botany) Also: les gants fourrés = … Continue reading fourré
