Laboring the earth, the old-fashioned way, at Domaine du Trapadis. Photo by Jean-Marc.

rêche (resh)
adjective
  harsh, rough, abrasive (fabric, wine)
  prickly, cross-grained
(difficult-to-deal-with person: un homme rêche)

Additional French
definition for rêche, from Le Petit Larousse:
    : "qui est âpre au goût" =
that which is tart to the taste

Terms:
 
le drap rêche = crumpled sheet
  le vin rêche = a rough wine
  la voix
rêche = raspy voice
  rendre rêche = to roughen

Synonyms in English
(and French) include flirty and fun words like scabrous, râpeux (raspy), and
cahoteux (bumpy)

Listen to today's word in the following sentence (taken
from the French version of today's story): Download reche.mp3 . Download reche.wav

Pas d'essorage rapide et
encore moins de sèche-linge pour des tissus pourtant épais et
rèches. No quick drying and forget about tumble drying for the thick and
coarse fabrics.

.
A Day in a French Life…
By Kristin Espinasse

Here for you now, the "rêche" or rough translation of Aunt
Marie-Françoise's "French Apron of Yesteryear" story.
Enjoy!

                                    Grandmother's Apron

These days, now that it
is customary–even easy–to do the washing in our modern machines, we have
adopted new habits. We no longer need to protect our clothing, in order to
get as many consecutive days'  use out of it as possible, and what a pleasure
it is to change each morning, even if yesterday's clothes are still
impeccably clean.

As for our grandmothers, they had to transport the
all-imposing "lessiveuse métallique"* boiler before activating it over the
fire! (Or, worse, they had to go to the outdoor community lavoir.* No quick
drying and forget about tumble drying for the thick and rêche* fabrics. And
so, back then, it was necessary to
superimpose protective wear over the
clothing that one had prepared to wear… for the week!

For the
women, still at home at the time, the protective tablier* was worn all day
long. Only outings, church going, or social calling was done without
the apron.

This apron of our elders had nothing in common with the
cute little curvy and embroidered thing that decorates more than it protects
some of today's moms when they cook.

The apron of yesteryear reached
around grandmother's great hips, fastened with the help of a large ribbon,
and ended level with the dress itself, just above grandma's heels.

And
what a variety of uses grandma made with her apron! Folded onto itself,
it became a glove for pulling from the oven dinner, or that beautiful apple
tart, and carrying them over to the window for cooling. And, whipped before
the fire, the apron served as a fan.

As woman, back then, constantly
had their hands immersed in cold water, it was necessary to dry them quickly
lest they be pained with a cruel chilblain*; just above the pockets, the
apron's cloth served as a permanent towel.

When grandmother went to the
garden, which, back then, was more a potager,* she returned with one hand
tightened around the base of the cloth. Like that, the apron became a great
basket permitting her to return time and again with vegetables, dry wood,
apples (just fallen from the tree) or, with much
precaution, a collection of
fragile (and still warm!) eggs.

When the littlest members of the
maisonnée* became intimidated by the arrival of visitors, they ran to hide
"dans les jupes" (in the skirts), that is to say: behind this vast drape of
cloth. Grandmother took advantage of the occasion to wipe tears and to scrub the
dirty (and pretty) little faces, or "frimousses".

When sun rays revealed
fine dust on the waxed sideboard, a corner of the apron, in passing, quickly
took care of the chore.

If she was going out and the air seemed a bit
chilly, grandmother lifted up the apron's sides to muffle herself within this
cotonnade.*

At suppertime, perched on the front step, she waved her apron
like a flag, this being a signal for the field workers to head to the
table.

And when all were seated 'round, it was, once again, grandmother's
apron that bustled about behind the men in order to serve–all through the
course of the meal!

This apron is more than a forgotten piece of
clothing, it is temoin* of another time and place, of our traditions, for we
all have paysanne* origins.

                                       *    
*     *

Please share this story with a
girlfriend, aunt, mom, godmother, grandmother, sister, daughter, best friend,
co-worker, teacher, student, cook, or accidental housewife. Thanks!

Read
"Grandmother's Apron" in French, written by Aunt Marie-Françoise*:
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/tablier.pdf

*Aunt Marie-Françoise (Marie-Françoise Vidal), when she is not harvesting her family's grapes, works  as a speech therapist (orthophoniste) and enjoys helping children who have special needs.
.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
References ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
une lessiveuse (f) métallique = copper boiler
for washing; le lavoir (m) = outdoor laundry (consisting of a great,
rectangular stone bassin filled with running water); rêche = coarse; le
tablier (m) = apron; chilblain = type of skin disease http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblain
; le potager (m) = vegetable
garden; la maisonnée (f) = household; la
cotonnade (f) = cotton fabric; le témoin (m) = witness, proof, evidence;
paysan (paysanne) = rural

In bilingual French/English children's books:
Grandma Nana: Beloved by all children, Grandma Nana is known for telling
wonderful stories and riddles that make everyone laugh. She also has a very
special doll, unlike any the children have seen before, that is very close to
her heart.

Check
out the French Word-A-Day widget:
http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/french-word-a-day

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