Thank you! (A jug of thanks, and more, in today's story column.)
Note: the book section (in the left and right columns) changes "thrice-weekly" along with each new post. Look for French-themed novels, short stories, grammar books and more!
: pot, jug, can, tin, jar
[from low
Latin "potus" (a pot), from the classical Latin "potus" (drink)]
"Un pot"
can refer to a farewell party and "avoir du pot" means "to be lucky". There
are over a dozen more terms and expressions at the end of this letter. Would
you like to help to translate one or two? Thank you for sharing your answers
in the comments
box.
(Mini dialogue):
Me: Jean-Marc, do you have a minute to record tomorrow's word?
JM: I do… but I think people would appreciate hearing your voice from time to time.
Me: (gulps) Thanks for the encouragement…. (secretly relieved there are no French "r's" in today's word or expression):
Audio File: Listen to today's word and to this expression "pot à lait"
Download pot.mp3 . Download pot.wav
On Friday I asked readers to send my mom a virtual
flower… and to share the French word for the flower-in-question. If the
French equivalent was not known (for it isn't necessary to speak French — or
even to have a dictionary handy to participate), readers were encouraged to
just go ahead and send in
their favorite fleur* for Jules. Meantime, as
promised, I began to translate those first few terms that arrived via the
comments box, where a lovely bouquet began to take shape….
Then a
"black-eyed Susan" arrived… and just as I was considering "Les Yeux Noirs
de Suzanne" (giddy to learn the name of a favorite flower… never mind that
I had the French all wrong…), Jules fired up her computer, clicked
over to her daughter's blog, and discovered her floral surprise! Mom quickly
responded (via the petal-packed comments box) with a simple, tearful,
ALL-CAPS remerciement.* From that point on, my worries turned from flower
translations… to how I, too, might thank you for all of the exotic and
lovely flower combinations. From a poetic "Sahuaro blossoms floating in a
clay bowl full of desert rain-water"… to those quirky "Kangaroo paws" (and,
just this morning, a "une primevère de Mumbai"*), Jules's virtual bouquet
grew and, as Mom would add, via all-caps, GREW!
In view of the unexpected
response, I spent the weekend obsessing about how to express a heartfelt
thanks for making my mom's wish come true…. until Aunt-Marie Françoise arrived
on Sunday afternoon with a "pot à lait"* and, in-so-doing, unwittingly put a
stop to my flower frenzy. The old-fashioned milk pail (a gift from her), with
its muted aluminum body and unadorned handle, helped me to remember that a
"thank you" needn't be polished like gold. The humble "pot à lait" hinted that a
simple "merci beaucoup" is sometimes all it takes… to say thanks.
To
Marie-Françoise's pot, I've added few branches of wild rosemary
(collected from our afternoon walk through the garrigue*) and string of
non-edible red berries for a Thank You composition (see today's photo)
prepared just for you! And because Jules would love the chance to "vous
re-remercier"*,
I've added a quince from her "collection"… I'll tell you
THAT story another time.
PS: Did you miss the "baba cool" edition and want to send Mom a
flower? Don't forget to mention the city from which you are sending your virtual
fleur:
une fleur (f)
= flower; un remerciement (m) = thanks, thanking; une primevère (f) de Mumbai =
a primrose from Mumbai; un pot (m) à lait = milk jug; la garrigue (f) =
Mediterranean scrubland; vous re-remercier = to thank you again
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…Here's where you pitch
in… and help to build our French Word Community
Terms to translate
& to discuss via the comments box:
un petit pot (for baby…)
un
pot de chambre
un plant en pot
un pot de colle
un pot à eau
un pot
d'adieu
un pot de départ
un pot de terre
un coup de pot
plein pot
(rouler plein pot)
un pot à bière
le pot d'échappement
le
pot-au-feu
le pot-de-vin
le pot-de-vinier
poule au pot
le pot aux roses
le pot de
yaourt
le pot au noir
la pot-bouille (may be an old term…)
le pot à feu
un pot d'accueil
…and what about le pot-pourri?
Expressions:
avoir du
pot
manquer de pot
tourner autour du pot
payer plein pot
payer les pots cassés
tourner autour du pot
"C'est le pot de terre
contre le pot de fer"
découvrir le pot aux roses
mettre la poule au pot
sourd comme un pot
Proverbs :
On fait de bonne soupe dans un vieux pot.
Un pot fêlé dure longtemps.
… don't forget to check back to the comments box for insights into these expressions. Many thanks for your translations and comments regarding these idioms and terms related to the French word "pot".
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un petit pot = a jar of baby food
le pot au feu = beef stew (special from France)
le pot de yaourt = a single serving container of yogurt
un pot de chambre = a chamber pot
An expression that my ex-husband used frequently, that I don’t see here is: “boire un pot” which means to have a drink (of alcohol when he used it).
un pot d’amitie
Hi Honey (Kristi),
I know its early here in Mexico, but are
you actually talking about POT here on your
blog. I’ll re-read your story after some coffee and send you a word.
XOXO
MOM
Mom,
Re: your POT comment:
It’s funny how “herb” is the last thing that comes to mind when I see the word “pot”… and how it is the first thing that you think of on seeing the same word. You are beginning to give yourself away as a former (former?) baba cool.
Peace,
Kristi
Here’s one of my favorite “pot” words: les pots de crême. They are individual baked chocolate (and sometimes other flavors) custard desserts served in ramekins.
tourner autour du pot – to beat around the bush
payer les pots cassés – to pick up the pieces
un pot de terre contre un pot de fer – someone weak up against someone strong (the pot de terre is a clay pot, against an iron pot, un pot de fer)
Hi Jules and Kristin,
I don’t think all the posts from last week went through because I sent you blue Morning Glories from Illinois and just checked to see if anyone knew the French name for them but can’t find the entry. Kristin, do you know what they are called in France, if they grow there?
jan
Mais…did he show up les fleurs a la main?
I’m dying of curiosity!
Hi Dana,
When I departed for my 5 week visit to France the air was a little COOL in this
hot Mexican climate. You know what babies
men can be when the wife departs on R&R.
John was 15 minutes late to pick me up, and
no there weren’t any flowers in his arms,
but as i approached him through the parking
lot he threw his arms wide open to welcome me home. NOTE: THERE WERE A DOZEN (RED FOR LOVE) ROSES AT HOME WAITING FOR ME.
XOXO
JULES
Jan: Thank you for the blue morning glory — a favorite flower… and a favorite French word: “ipomée”. Isn’t that fun to say?
Thank you all for the translations and, Passante, for the pots de crême: mmm mmm!
prendre un pot = have a drink
And let’s not forget the “Pot au noir,” maritime slang for the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), more commonly called “the doldrums” in English.
Morning glories: belles de jour (they close at night). Belles de nuit…
un petit pot: baby’s potty
“Fais un petit pipi dans le petit pot, mon petitcoco.”
Tu as un très joli accent du soleil en français!
leslie said:
tourner autour du pot – to beat around the bush
I’d always assumed that this referenced a “chamber pot” and was similar to the American expression “shit or get off the pot”
Similar id the french expression “oui ou merde!”
UN POT DE YAOURT = a pot of yogurt
UN POT DE CONFITURE = a jar of jam
UN POT DE MARMELADE = a jar of marmalade
UN POT DE COLLE = a pot of glue – also means “leech” (fig.)
UN POT DE PEINTURE = a tin of paint
UN POT À EAU = a water jug
UN POT D’ACCUEIL = a welcoming party
UN POT D’ADIEU = a farewell party
UNE PLANTE EN POT = a potted plant
UN POT DE FLEURS = a flowerpot
UN POT-AU-FEU = dish of boiled beef with vegetables (comes from name of large “marmite” (pot hung over open fire) in which beef & veg used to be cooked.
UN POT À FEU = decorative pottery shaped like a vase with flame on top.
UN POT-DE-VIN = a bribe!!!
LE POT D’ÉCHAPPEMENT = the exhaust pipe
UN COUP DE POT = a stroke of luck
UN POT-POURRI = Natural perfume for the house made with dried petals of roses or other flowers, mixed with spices, a few drops of essential oil – and kept in an open container for their fragrance.
– in music, = a medley
LE POT À LAIT (de Tante Marie-Françoise) = a milk can as seen on the lovely photo at the top – to carry fresh milk bought directly at the farm.
Thanks for this lovely photo, Kristin! … What a nice composition!