New: Add a "slice" of French life to your own blog, website, or desktop — check out this gadget. donné(e)  (doh-nay) adjective  : dirt cheap ("given") "Donné," from the verb "donner" (to give), means many things, including "given". Here is an example and proverb:           Tout ce qui n’est pas donné est perdu.                All that is not … Continue reading donné

trémousser (tray-moos-ay) verb  to wriggle, to jig about; to wiggle one’s hips  …and, my favorite, "to bestir oneself" Listen to my son, Max, pronounce today’s word:Download tremousser.mp3Download tremousser.wav                                                  To bestir oneself. That’s one way to look at it. From another viewpoint, say, that of a mother standing at … Continue reading trémousser

I love today's word "chouia"! I hope you will share the enthusiasm by sharing this gazette, vignette (we'll figure it out yet) with a friend. And don't miss the sound clip, below, where you can hear my mother-in-law pronounce "chouia" (there's even a "flash" story from our recording session). Also, in the Shopping section, see one of the gifts that Jean-Marc got me for Christmas… … Continue reading chouia

libérer (lee-bay-ray) verb  to free I received this quote as an early birthday present from Jules (my mother). I hope your inner (or outer) artist will enjoy it to. J'ai vu un ange dans le marbre et j'ai ciselé jusqu'à l'en libérer.I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free. –Michelangelo. Disclaimer: the following newsletter — gazette, vignette, billet … Continue reading libérer

cul sec! (kew sek)  bottoms up! down the hatch! cheers! The expression refers to leaving the bottom of a glass (cul) dry (sec), having emptied its contents. The French definition is "Boire un verre d’une seule traite." "To drink a glassful in one gulp".                                     *     *     *Cake update: I’ve posted my … Continue reading cul sec

avouer (ah-voo-ay) verb  to confess (one's love)  to admit to (a crime), to own up to Que toutes nos pensées soient telles que si on te demandait à tout instant ce que tu penses tu puisses toujours l'avouer sans honte. May all our thoughts be such that if one asks you at any moment what you are thinking you can always admit it without shame. … Continue reading avouer

If a chocolate trough existed, it might be behind these doors. mangeoire (mahn-zhwar) noun, feminine   1.  trough, manger (animals) ; feeding dish (birds)  2.  crèche (Christ child's crib) :: Audio File ::Hear Jean-Marc pronounce today's French word and proverb: Download mp3 or Wav            Cheval affamé nettoie sa mangeoire.            A starving horse cleans its trough. In music: 21 … Continue reading mangeoire

The village of Les Sauzes, not far from the Italian border. ……………………………………………………………………..At $6.99* a pop, "Words in a French Life" in bargain book form makes perfect stocking stuffer for the Francophile in your life!*while supplies of the hardbound remaindered copies last.……………………………………………………………………. inébranlable (ee-nay-brahn-lahbl) adjective  unshakeable Soyez assis avec toute la majesté inaltérable et inébranlable de la montagne. Laissez votre esprit s’élever, prendre son essor et … Continue reading inébranlable