A rose-lover's Shangri-la: the village of Grignan. (Just don't steal the flowers… or the sweetness…. read on in today's story column. choper (sho-pay) verb : to steal, to nib; to catch Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words (Download MP3 or Wav file) Il a chopé un rhume / He caught a cold.Elles ont chopé le sucre du bistro. / They nabbed the sugar. … Continue reading choper
My fourteen-year-old fiston* on the beach in Giens (near Hyérès). He's eating "un sandwich baguette". Learn about another kind of baguette (en bois*), in today's story column. mauvais perdant (moh-vay pair-dahn) : sore loser (feminine: une mauvaise perdante [moh-vayz pair-dahnt) Audio File & Example Sentence:Listen to my daughter, Jackie, pronounce the following French words:Download MP3 or Download Mauvais perdantBattu, il fut aussi mauvais perdant … Continue reading mauvais perdant
A field of provençal poppies (near Bollène) for my mom, Jules. acrostiche (akro-steesh) noun, masculine : acrostic Here is a French definition, from Le Petit Larousse: Acrostiche: pièce de vers composée de telle sorte qu'en lisant dans le sens vertical la première lettre de chaque vers on trouve le mot pris pour thème…. => An acrostic is "a line of poetry composed in such a … Continue reading acrostiche
A couple of French turkeys, each pouting in his/her own corner après l'engueulade. Photo taken at Château Miraval, in 2005. Sign up for French Word-A-Day: it's free. .engueulade (ongh-lahd) noun, feminine 1. argument, shouting match 2. scolding Also: a telling-off, bawling out, blowing up, chewing out or "a giving to another of one hell of a bad time". Get the picture? "Arguing is to the … Continue reading engueulade
Is going to the local café a favorite amusette of yours, as it is mine? For the purposes of this edition (we always need a purpose…) we're calling this restaurant a buvette. Read on in today's edition—by guest columnist "Newforest". amusette (ah moo zet) noun, feminine : pastime, idle pleasure, diversion : a kind of fire arm Audio File & Example Sentence: Download … Continue reading amusette
The content features a lighthearted glimpse into a dog’s life in St. Tropez and the author’s reflections on writer’s block and “in-box block.” The post highlights a playful exploration of apocope, the practice of shortening words, demonstrated through a creative poem containing several examples. Additionally, the piece touches on the “baby talk” language dog owners use, emphasizing its playful and affectionate nature. Carol Donnay from Belgium is acknowledged for her contributions on apocopes, inviting readers to engage and appreciate the linguistic nuances presented in the text. The post blends personal anecdotes with language learning elements, enriching the reader’s experience. Continue reading abregement
Our story takes place here… subrepticement (soo-brep-teece-mehn) adverb : surreptitiously Audio File & Example Sentence: Download Wav or Download MP3Et là, nous découvrons ce qu'est le festival [de Cannes]: des queues interminables, des dames très « BCBG » qui se glissent subrepticement devant nous… And there, we discover just what is the Cannes Film festival: interminable lines, chic (BCBGBon Chic Bon Genre) women … Continue reading subrepticement
An ewt in Ramatuelle… read on énième (en-ee- em) adjective : umpteenth, steenth, nth Audio File & Example Sentence: Larmoyante, elle a fait son énième mea culpa.Teary eyed, she excused herself for the umpteenth time. ("Naomi Campell: Le Mea Culpa de Trop" Gala magazine) Download MP3 . Download Wav A Day in a French Life… by … Continue reading enieme
So many different shapes and sizes in a bed of soucis… Some wrinkled, others plump-petaled. More, in today's story column. tintouin (tehn-twehn) noun, masculine : worry, bother; din, racket et tout le tintouin = an all the rest Le copiste avec ses innombrables incorrections me donne autant de tintouin que le poète avec ses étourderies et ses maladresses. — from the diary of … Continue reading tintouin
My husband tells me that today's word is a little too argot… and not something he uses very often. But Jean-Marc is from Marseilles… and I'm betting people in Paris would pucker up in pleasure at pronouncing today's term, which is a synonym for "tribe" or "clan" or "posse" or even "bercail". It is especially in theme with today's story about my kindly kin. … Continue reading smala
