Photo: (summer 2003) my mom, my son & the verb casse-croûter. Just for fun, a very informal verb for you today from the popular noun ‘lecasse-croûte’ (snack, quick lunch). casse-croûter (kass-kroo-tay) verb1. to take along a bite to eat; to eat quickly and informally Hear today’s word (compliments of my ten-year-old, Max):Download casse-crouter.wav Citation du Jour:Le pain d’autrui a sept croûtes.The other’s bread has seven … Continue reading casse-croûter
The Bar de la Marine in Marseilles… For those of you who like to photograph people, today’s popular French word will be a nice change from the predictable "Say cheese!" approach. le ouistiti (we-stee-tee) noun, masculine 1. "cheese!"* (not the kind you eat!) [as in "Souriez sur la photo"-or-"Smile for the photo]* … Continue reading le ouistiti
My son, Max, who was recently in a school play… une aiguille (ay-gwee) noun, feminine 1. needle Hear today’s word: Download aiguille.wav (Special thanks to Jean-Marc!) Also:une aiguille de glace = an icicleune aiguille de pin = a pine needle ……………….Expressions: de fil en aiguille = "from thread to needle," one thing leading to anotherune petite/grande aiguille = hour/minute hand … Continue reading une aiguille
A café in Nice Don’t forget about the new feature at French Word-A-Day: a sound clip! Just click on the link under today’s definition to hear the word pronounced. le truc (trewk) noun, masculine 1. way, trick 2. thing 3. thingamajig, hootenanny Hear the word "truc": Download Truc.wav Terms and … Continue reading le truc
A little cabanon in Vidauban (Var). Special thanks to Jean-Marc for recording the pronunciation of "paille". Click on the link below to listen to the word. une paille (pie) noun 1. straw (hat) 2. straw (drinking) Hear today’s word: Download paille.wav Expressionstirer à la courte paille = to draw strawsêtre sur la paille = to be … Continue reading une paille
A school in Aix-en-Provence. le biscuit (bee-skwee) noun, masculine 1. cracker, wafer, cookie [from bis = twice, and cuit = cooked] …………………………………Expressions and Terms: le biscuit salé = crackerle biscuit de savoie = sponge cakele biscuit de chien = dog biscuit Proverb:Il ne faut pas s'embarquer sans biscuit. Don't embark without biscuits. A Day … Continue reading un biscuit
embêter (om-behtay) verb1. to bother, to worry; to pester; to annoy; to bore Also: s’embêter = to be bored Expressions:ne pas s’embêter = to have funne vous embêtez pas avec ça = don’t worry about its’embêter comme un rat mort = to bored as a dead rat Citation du JourS’embêter, c’est s’insulter soi-même.To be bored is to insult oneself. –Jules Renard ………………………………..A Day in a … Continue reading embêter
Photo from 2008. Listening to Mr Farjon talk about wild plants. The story is in the final, bilingual chapter of my book. For several options on how to support this journal, see my message below. Zelle (available on most bank apps) is the most helpful as there are no fees subtracted from your donation. Continue reading Support This Journal With a Donation
My husband, Jean-Marc, and son Max last summer……………………………………………………………………………………………… Words in a French Life: "…a heart-winning collection from an American woman raising two very French children with her French husband in Provence, carrying on a lifelong love affair with the language."……………………………………………………………………………………………..la lunette (lew-net) noun, feminine 1. telescope 2. les lunettes = (pair of) glasses 3. toilet seat –from the … Continue reading la lunette
Today’s word is for my friend Alicia, in Angleterre.* She taught me a verb that I felt sure I knew par coeur* (in reality, I knew the half of it). "Asticot" is a French noun that I hear almost daily around our home–what with two children who rarely cease d’asticoter* and their father who continually reminds them to "arretez de bouger comme des asticots!"* asticoter … Continue reading asticoter
