une vedette (vuh-det) noun, feminine 1. (movie) star 2. patrol boat Expressions:en vedette = in the limelightune vedette de cinema = a movie staravoir la vedette = to be in the spotlight, in the headlinesjouer les vedettes = to act like a starmettre en vedette = to put emphasis on, to put in evidence (product)ravir la vedette à quelqu’un = to steal the show from … Continue reading la vedette
coller (ko-lay) verb 1. to paste, stick, glue 2. to adhere, cling (to) Expressions:Ça colle? = How are things?; That’ll workêtre pot de colle = to be a nuisancecoller une gifle a quelqu’un = to slap someone in the facese coller avec quelqu’un = to shack up with someoneposer une colle = to ask a difficult questionse faire coller à un examen = to fail … Continue reading coller
serré,e (sehr-ay) adjective 1. tight 2. close 3. cramped, dense Also:un café serré = a strong espresso coffee, one that is "bien tassé" or "short in the cup" as opposed to un café allongé (in which the contents reach the top of the cup, and the coffee is less strong) ………………..Expressions:être serré = to be tight, low on moneyles dents serrées = clenched teethavoir le … Continue reading serré
bouder (boo-day) verb 1. to pout or sulk Also:la bouderie (f) = sulkiness, (fit of the) sulksun boudoir = a ladyfinger (finger-shaped cookie, cake) …………………Expressions:bouder quelqu’un = to refuse to have anything to do with someoneavoir des succès de boudoir = to be successful with women ………………..Proverb:La bouderie en amour est comme le sel ; il n’en faut pas trop.Sulkiness in love is like salt; … Continue reading bouder
(Updated September 8th, 2021) Next year this French journal celebrates its 20th anniversary and it is time to rewrite a page in history (or simply amend this outdated "About" page found in the sidebar of the French Word-A-Day blog)! As I reflect on what to include, let me share a brief introduction (in lieu of a longer version). American, born in the Philippines in 1967 … Continue reading Sans déconner (time to rewrite my blog’s about page)!
Regarding e-mails… Thank you very much for taking the time to write. If you have not received a reply to your email, and it requires a response, please resend it. Sometimes your emails and/or my replies get intercepted, or thrown out accidentally, due to an overzealous anti-spam/filtering system (yours or mine!). I appreciate your feedback, suggestions and corrections and welcome them at kristin.espinasse AT gmail.com Continue reading Contact information
nu, nue (new) adjective 1. naked, nude 2. uncovered 3. bare, plain, unadorned noun1. nude (in art) Expressions:être pieds nus = to be bare-footedà main nue = bare-handedla vérité nue = the plain truthmettre à nu = to expose, to lay bareà l’oeil nu = to the naked eyenu comme un ver = (naked as a worm) stark nakedmonter un cheval à nu = to … Continue reading nu
Today you can read Jean-Marc’s article in English. une bouteille (boo-tay) noun, feminine1. bottle Expressions:une bouteille à la mer = a message of distressavoir de la bouteille = to have experienceune bouteille à l’encre = a confused situationêtre dans la bouteille = to be in on a secretporter les bouteilles = (to carry bottles) to walk carefullyvoir les choses par le trou d’une bouteille = … Continue reading une bouteille
Today’s column is written by my wine-loving husband, Jean-Marc, a.k.a. "Jimmy," and is in French. I promise to post the English version tomorrow. In the meantime, you get to strain your brain by pulling out the "dictionnaire" and becoming familiar with some of the words in his article below. As for moi, I will be a few hundred meters from the Mediterranean Sea, visiting some … Continue reading un bouchon
