A cottage in Marseilles. All photos taken with this digital camera, but newer models exist. Geo is a French-language magazine reporting on ecological issues around the world and featuring photographs of natural wonders and exotic places. Subscribe to Geo here. French Word-A-Day will not be delivered from July 28th through August 11th — more about that in today’s edition. juillettiste (jwee-ay-teest) noun, masculine/feminine July vacationer … Continue reading juillettiste
In the Middle Ages the trade guilds of France–labor unions of that day–presented the first crude one-act plays. By the time of Joan of Arc these interludes, or farces, were "stuffed" or crammed in between the acts of the main performance. The French word farce is derived from farcir, going back to the Latin farcire which meant "to stuff." –from "Word Origins: An Exploration and … Continue reading farcir
A café in Nice, where bronzing is in, boredom is out. Chatelaine magazine (printed in French!) features articles on health, beauty, family, and fashion issues, practical home advice, and a wide variety of recipes. Subscribe here. embêter (om-behtay) verb 1. to bother, to worry; to pester; to annoy; to bore Also: s’embêter = to be bored S’embêter, c’est s’insulter soi-même.To be bored is to insult … Continue reading embêter
A quiet corner in Marseilles. aisselle (ay-sel) noun, femininearmpit, underarm Jean-Marc's dear friend, Laurence, sits on the edge of Jackie's bed. Her long, wavy hair is pulled back into a clip, revealing her luminescent complexion, which is set off by dark Corsican eyes. "Coucou, ma puce," she says to my daughter, who was up heaving part of the night. "Ça ne va pas trop, n'est-ce pas?" … Continue reading aisselle
Apartment airing in a little French town. Around the picnic table on Sunday, my French guests talked up the following book and raved about its author. Check out "Stupeur Et Tremblements" in French or order it in English. une pente (pahnt) noun, feminine 1. slope (of a roof), incline 2. tendency La vie offre toujours deux pentes. On grimpe ou on se laisse glisser.Life always … Continue reading pente
Pétillant (pay-tee-yahn) sparkling, bubbly, fizzy When I finished mopping the apricot tiles of our home, I considered my next mission: to prevent so many little feet from pottering across the clean carrelage. The messy four o'clock goûter would just have to take place outside today! I would not risk cake crumbs or spilled drinks on this clean floor! I gathered Max, his two neighborhood friends, and Jackie into … Continue reading pétillant
Grocery shopping cart, or un caddie, and a shopping list. une fripouille (hear audio file, below) noun, feminine rogue, scoundrel, crook une petite fripouille = little devil A Day in a French Life… by Kristi EspinasseAt the supermarket, I compared check-out lines to finally settle on the queue next to the last conveyor belt which held only a six-pack of beer and a box of … Continue reading fripouille
A quiet scene after last night's defeat. See today's story. The French Review is the official journal of the American Association of Teachers of French and has the largest circulation of any scholarly journal of French studies in the world. The Review publishes articles and reviews on French and francophone literature, cinema, society and culture, linguistics, technology, and pedagogy. More info here. la bave (bav) … Continue reading bave
Petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid
Little by little the bird makes its nest. –Proverb
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Flower boxing along Rue Hôpital Vieux in Brignoles… Chatelaine magazine (printed in French!) features articles on health, beauty, family, and fashion issues, practical home advice, and a wide variety of recipes. More info here. la belle-doche (bel dosh) (hear audio file, below) noun, feminine mother-in-law (pejorative) Toute femme contient une belle-mère.All women have within them a mother-in-law. –Jules Renard A Day in a French Life…I've … Continue reading belle-doche
