Voting time is just around the corner in France… French With Michel Thomas: "The Fastest Way to Learn a Language" élire (ay-leer) verb  to elect, choose Les Américains éliront-ils une femme à la présidence?Will Americans elect a woman for the presidency?            –headline for the journal Tolerance.ca                                                … Continue reading élire

Water to "spare" in the French Alps at Villeneuve-la-Salle Check out SmartFrench –"the smart way to learn French" le rab (rab) noun, masculine  1. seconds, second helping  2. spare, extra, extra time (from the military (slang) term "rabiot" (surplus / what remains after distribution) Example Sentence:Malgré 9 minutes de rab, Perpignan ne pouvait marquer de nouveaux points… In spite of 9 minutes overtime, Perpignan could … Continue reading rab

Les Arcs-sur-Argens, where our story begins…. Rosetta Stone French (CD-ROM) — "an award-winning method used by NASA and the Peace Corps" un baffle (bafl) noun, masculine  speaker (stereo) While "les baffles" is an informal term, accoustic speakers are originally known as "les enceintes". ("Enceinte" is also the French word for "pregnant"…which gives a new name to stereo speakers ("preggers".) The French word baffle is better … Continue reading baffle

Abbé Pierre’s "holy anger" drove him to fight for the rights of those "sans-toit," without a roof over their head Check out "Behind the Wheel French" — an 8 CD language course:. le (la) sans-abri (sahns-ahbree) noun, masculine & feminine  homeless person -sans-abri means, literally, "without shelter"-les sans-abri = the homeless La mort de l’abbé Pierre, apôtre des sans-abri, bouleverse la FranceThe death of Abbot … Continue reading sans-abri

Lots of dough behind these beaded curtains. Italian bakery in Ceriana, Italy. French Before You Know It Deluxe–quickly learn to understand and speak 1,000 common French words and 250 essential phrases. la pâte (pat) noun, feminine  pastry, dough, batter, fritter mix (…not to be confused with the masculine noun "pâté" [pa-tay]) les pâtes (lay pat):  pasta, noodles, spaghetti Les nations ont besoin de héros et … Continue reading pâte

A take-out pizza parlor in Marseilles’ eighth arrondissement French With Michel Thomas: "The Fastest Way to Learn a Language". More language learning software here. blondinette (blohn-dee-net) noun, feminine  blond- or fair-haired girl, woman blondinet = blond- or fair-haired boy, man Example Quote:Une dame vint un jour me demander de donner des leçons à son fils, blondinet de cinq ans, joufflu comme un chérubin et espiègle … Continue reading blondinette

Today’s totally unrelated to the word or story photo: Wayward Sanglier. (We’ll just have to call this little guy–observed trotting through my neighborhood, cares to the wind–"Bahut". SmartFrench CD-ROM –"the smart way to learn French". More language learning software here. le bahut (ba-ew) noun, masculine  1. chest, sideboard  2. (slang) school, high-school  3. (slang) truck, car, taxi, cab  4. the low wall that forms a … Continue reading bahut

Clothespins wishing for something to hold on to. Rosetta Stone French (CD-ROM) — "an award-winning method used by NASA and the Peace Corps". More French language software here. souhaiter (sweh-tay) verb  to wish for Tous les changements, même les plus souhaités, ont leur mélancolie.All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy. –Anatole France. Monsieur and Madame D. walked up the stone-flanked Chemin St … Continue reading souhaiter