What do French vines do to keep warm in wintertime? DANCE! They shake their hips to the left, shake 'em to the right… hipsway hipsway all through the night and day. Watch out, Moulin Rouge! You've got competition here at Domaine Rouge-Bleu!
English Grammar for Students of French: The Study Guide for Those Learning French
pipelette (peep uh let) noun, feminine
: one who "papottes" (papoter = to chat, to be chatty), a chatterbox
Bonjour Kristin!
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"J’aime beaucoup papoter avec toi!" disait mon ami, la pipelette.
I love to chat with you, said my friend, the chatterbox.
A Day in a French Life…
by Kristin Espinasse
Hell's bells, je viens de me casser le ventre! That's right. I've just broken my stomach—something one can do only in the French language, with the help of a French restaurant, and with the arm-pulling of a Canadian expat who invites you to wine-fueled ladies' lunches… (Thanks a lot, Marg!)
Le Tourne au Verre is a colorful bistro in Cairanne that caters to wine makers in the wintertime, but tourists—and teetotalers—are welcome all the same. I shared a table with five other pipelettes, as we were called, by the waitress serving up those savory assiettes.
Wine got the women off to a good chatty start, as they tried to guess the mysterious cuvée in the glass carafe, center table. While the ladies tried to divine the wine, I watched and listened, thrilled to find myself in the cozy company of bon vivants.
The next two hours were spent en papotant, chatting about food (I mental-noted several recipes to share with you, including gratin de courge and gratin d'épeautre…), about politics (mostly about the French President's penchant for high heels), health (apparently oregano capsules help to soothe un rhume…), and language (I hadn't realized Provençale is taught in my village. The local prof de Provençale was just awarded a golden cicada.)
"La cigale d'or!" the woman seated across from me giggled. "It's the Provençal equivalent of winning the Oscar!"
When the waitress returned and dared ask whether we wanted dessert, the women at my table shouted back "DIABLE!"
Go to hell? I guessed my tablemates' aggressiveness had to do with the wine… "Mais, non," one of the pipelettes assured me, ça veut dire QU'ON VEUT DU DESSERT!
Diable? Dessert…. That must be French for The Devil Made Me Do It!
.
***
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je viens de me casser le ventre = I've just stuffed myself; une pipelette (f) = chatterbox; une assiette (f) = plate (i.e. assiette composée = mixed salad); la cuvée (f) = vintage; le bon vivant (m) (bon viveur) = who like the good things in life (wine, food…); en papotant = while chatting; le gratin de courge (m) = pumpkin gratin; le gratin d'épeautre (m) = Gallic cereal gratin (oh, what a translation! "épeautre" is also known as "blé des Gaulois" or wheat of the Gauls); l'épeautre = spelt; un rhume (m) = cold; la cigale d'or (f) = the golden cicada; diable! (devil) = bien sûr (of course!); mais, non = not at all; ça veut dire qu'on veut du dessert! = it means that we want dessert!
A Day in a Dog's Life…
by Braise and Smokey
Smokey says: Hey, Grandma K, it's time to update my photo—this one was taken two weeks ago! And, just like Uncle Max (age 14), I do not appreciate being surrounded by foofy, frilly flowers, in your photos. Finally, I am NOT wearing clay on my face anymore. I'm a big boy now and I'm almost healed!
PS: To Grandma K's readers: those are my 5 sisters, below. One became a truffle hunter, one went to live on a chicken farm, two went to the la-di-dah big city (Marseilles), to shop! And the other sister lives close enough to bug me if she so pleases. (I wish she'd come over and bug me, juste un petit peu. I might even share my bone with her. Nah, on second thought…)
French Impressions: The Adventures of an American Family
In 1950, John S. Littell dreamed of turning his life into a Hemingwayesque adventure. His wife Mary was an optimist who shared her husband's sense of fun. So what happens when they set off for the South of France with their two young sons? The result is French Impressions, a riveting, whimsical, and uproarious account of the Littells' time abroad, based on Mary's journals and diaries-with a marvelous collection of family photos.
Clean Provence. Eau De Parfum Spray
Sweatshirt "Provence-Alpes-Cote D'azur"
Sea Salt by La Baleine — a classic on every French table
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Ah, Le Tourne au Verre. While having lunch there this summer, sur la terrasse, we came across Philippe Cambie in all of his might (if you don’t know of him, just ask Jean-Marc). A nice memory to have here in the gray and windy Copenhagen at 5C.
J’adore those vines! You are so right – they do look like they’re dancing and swaying – and they are golden blondes too!
You are living my kind of “bon vivant” – your night with the chatterbox’s sounds like JUST my kind of fun. Sometimes we have to push ourselves but it’s good to get out with the girls every now and again – even if it does break your stomach. 🙂
Looking forward to that pumpkin gratin recipe!!
Kristin,
Le Tourne au Verre brings back wonderful memories of our last morning in Provence. Having packed up the car in Sablet we had time for cafe before heading to the train station in Avignon. Margaret suggested Cairanne which we had passed through the night before from your place to dinner in Gigondas.
We sipped our cafes while watching the bistrot staff play petanque including a young boy who was stationed to prevent the ball from rolling into the street … the street that was filled with orange barrows carrying just picked grapes to the caves.
A wonderful memory and a reminder that we took their business card planning to eat there one day when we return to Provence.
Ah, yes, a “little” wine, good friends, good conversation…where did all the wine go?? …and the there’s the next morning (or sometimes you pay with a “restless” night). (I will refrain from commenting on the combination of wine, women, and talk.)
Not to offend the owners or lovers of other breeds, but how can you not love the face of a Golden? But, Kristin, we do need to see some updated pictures of Smokey.
Finally, we’re getting some snow. A bit light but we’ll take what we can get – it is December in Minnesota, after all. Overcast, snowing lightly, 15 degrees F, heading for 27.
Somehow it doesn’t seem fair that “pipelette” is feminine! But then we’re avenged by “la motocyclette”! And where else but France could one “break their stomach” or find a president who is into high heels? (literally?!) Ah, la France, j’adore! Et toi aussi, mon amie, Kristin. I so look forward to your mots et photos. Merci! (COLD and frosty in SW KS – how I miss my CO mountains!)
Here in NJ it’s unusually warm, we’re looking toward a high in the mid 50’s today and the sky is a brilliant blue. But the big chill is headed in our direction, with overnight lows in the mid 20’s – so, I guess Winter is about to raise its’ ugly head – I am really hoping for that recipe for the gratin d’epautre ASAP.
Only another 273 days until we’re back en Maussane, and we’re planning to come visit you when we’re there – and, hopefully faire le vendange.
Merci pour tout.
What a beautiful picture of Smokey….he sure is one hug-able fur-baby. I look forward to seeing photos featuring him and his mommy each day. And, Grandma K, I think he looks perfectly at home surrounded by those foofy, frilly flowers….a true bon vivant, bien sur!!!! …keep those updates coming.
Marianne G.
Merci, Kristen, for the mention of French Impressions this morning :o) You are a dear, and my family and I thank you for your kindness!
Sue
Sue, It is a pleasure to list your brother’s book. Remind me in the New Year and it will be re-listed.
Happy holidays to everyone and thank you for your warm encouragements!
Merci, Kristen – I so enjoy your missives. Your letter today reminded me of a question we tried to answer in French class last week without success. We were talking about making pumpkin pie. We looked up the word for pumpkin and found two options, (depending on which dictionary we looked in)la citrouille and le potiron. I notice today you used the word courge. Do they all mean pumpkin? Are there several kinds of pumpkin in France? Any help from you or your readers would be appreciated. Thanks for the continuing updates on Smokey, glad to know he is doing so much better.
It’s bright, sunny and 13 F in Wichita today
I laughed out loud when I read the translation of pipelette. I spent yesterday afternoon Christmas shopping with my 10-year-old granddaughter. I’m sure her picture appears in the dictionary next to the word “chatterbox”. On the drive home she related to me the entire story of the latest movie she had seen — including much of the dialog. Arg.
PS It’s very chilly but sunny here in Damascus, Oregon. Love you — have a wonderful Christmas.
Smokey is looking beautiful!
Thank you for the updates, I really enjoy following his progress.
Also love the list of books you provide. I would never find some of these if it wasn’t for you. Congrats on your new book.
I would like some suggestions on French music. Perhaps smooth Jazz or blues.
Merci,
Elaine
Now that’s something I did not know, that vines shake (in the wind, I assume). Perhaps the equivalent here are young red pine, which look like they are on a dance floor when the wind howls. 4C, calm, cloudy, and relatively damp in southwestern Newfoundland.
Love today’s story. Thanks so much, Kristen. I just finished ordering your new book. As for Smokey, he’s the cutest little guy; glad to see him without his clay “mask.” Bon Chance avec ton deuxieme livre!! I look forward to another good read. Happy Holidays from cold and windy Henderson, NV to you and yours.
Ah, so much fun! Nothing like the company of bon-vivants to keep one strong! I have learned so much from you dear kristin, french words, recipes, how to be lovely(trying), how to be strong….delighted to see Smokey back in happy puppy world!
XX
Kristin, I’m usually a lurker on Le Mot francais du Jour but I couldn’t resist telling you about two things I learned today:
1) “rhume” is a “code in the node” — not “rheum” which I’d always believed, and
2) Le dictionnaire at TV5 lists that untranslatable ble as “epeautre” (an extra -e-) and translates it as “German wheat” or “spelt.”
Milles mercis pour votre blog. And for all those wonder Smokey updates and photos.
Kristin, I’m looking forward to your gratin recipes. You used “le courge” for pumpkin. I remember ordering pizza in Dijon (il était merveilleux) with “le courgette” – zucchini. Is “le courge” a generic term for squash of all ilk?
Il est très froid here in St. Louis. Winter will have its way after all.
Christina: Citrouille… potiron… and now courge! I’m confused, too. Now which is the right one for soup, which to use for pumpkin pie… and, oh yes! courge is for the gratin. Anyone want to straighten things out here, and help us?
Noemi: thank you for the edits. Always helpful! I think I got confused (la rhume, when it is really “le” rhume) due to the gender of “la grippe”. Thankfully, Newforest checked in, a little earlier, to help out… With the “e” on épeautre, as well. Now when saying/writing “épeautre”… it helps to think of “peau”. On second thought, that’s not very appetizing!
Thank you, all, and wishing everyone a happy weekend.
Christina: this just in… from a certain “someone” who is lovely to help us…:
–> “Une courge” -> is a general word for any of the plants that belong to “la famille des Cucurbitacées” ( the Cucurbitaceae).
All types of pumpkins, squashes, gourds are “des variétés de courges”.
–> “Une courge” is also a specific plant called “a marrow” (at least, in England). It’s like a gigantic “courgette”.
Careful -> une courge is also slang for “an idiot”!
–> “Potirons” & “citrouilles” are both translatied into “pumpkin”, but, in the French fairy tale “Cendrillon” (Cinderella), the godmother’s carriage comes out of “une citrouille” (not out of “un potiron”!)
If you want more details about the difference in shape and colour, taste & texture between potirons & citrouilles (2 different species of “courges”), here is a link -> http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potiron
Mille mercis to our mysterious “certain someone”.
Bonjour Kristin!
This note comes to you across the miles from one vigne to another. I’m a French teacher in the Napa Valley where the first blanket of frost appeared this morning, chilling the vines. Your regular missives are a wonderful way to enjoy French language and Provençal life. Merci mille fois for sharing your world with us. Congratulations on the new book and bonne continuation!
Your readers may be interested in the origins of the word pipelette, and its masculine form, piplet. The word comes from a character in the 19th century novel, Mystères de Paris, by Eugène Sue. Pipelet was a Parisian concierge. Over time, the character became so well-known that his name became synonymous with any concierge, and thus by extension with anyone who is known to chat or gossip.
I first learned this word back in French 3 in high school in a short story about a concierge named Madame Pipelet. Others who learned high school French in the 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond might remember it as part of a charming collection of short stories entitled Ces gens qui passent. I loved the story and nearly 25 years later, I still share it with my own students.
Bon courage à tous les lecteurs!
Please excuse my typo, the masuline form of pipelette is pipelet!
Je viens de trouver votre blog. Il a l’air d’être très drôle. Je ne savais pas que pipelette voulait dire bavarde, je croyais que ce n’était un mot que pour les concierges. Quand nous habitions dans l’appartement à Paris, papa disait par exemple “j’ai laissé le paquet chez la pipelette” et cela voulait toujours dire la concierge, mais il faut bien dire qu’elle était une bonne commère. Vous avez aussi de jolies photos.
I like the word pipelette…..I will be going to a book club on Monday and the pipelette will be en force. What do you and and Jean-Marc do with the vines??? I am going to the annual party at Joullian Vineyards in Carmel Valley. We will weave wreaths out of the cut vines….taste from the barrels, ride in the vineyards on the tractor, and enjoy some BBq goodies. I have many wreaths at this point, so I think this year I will try to make an angel….or maybe a very big wreath….like 3 feet across….
So glad Smokey is almost all healed….I have the biggest desire to hug him…
Carmel, CA…is cold and sunny.
Thank you, Michael. Looks like a great book (were there two? Was the second book “Les Gens Qui Passent” by another author? I have posted your comment beneath the word of the day. Merci encore!
Vagabonde: so glad you found us! I’ve just enjoyed my visit to your site, aussi!
Chère Joie: What a great idea to organize a BBQ, wreath-making afternoon in the vines. Have fun making an angel this year!
Re what does JM do with the vines (well, BBQ is one thing. We also use some to start the fire in fireplace…. The best, besides Angels… would be to make compost, non?)
Smiling thinking of the dancing vines.
Félicitations on the new book!!
Mon dieu, what a blast from ze past! Ma cousine Françoise et moi étions surnmommées “les pipelettes” by the entire family! We were the same age and loved each other’s company.
And Les mystères de Paris were broadcast every lunchtime on the radio….
Brisbane, sunny 31Celsius.
That is a beautiful animal, clay on his face is like is like cake on a one year old’s face, you just HAVE to smile