Time for a break… (Photo of "Ulysse" The Great Dane taken near Giens) saboter (saah boh tay) : to mess up Example Sentence:C'est 'l'autosabotage': elle fait de son mieux pour saboter ses efforts. It's 'self-sabotage': she does her best to mess up her own efforts.. A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse "Sabotage" Mom and I are sitting at the … Continue reading saboter
On the way to meet Malou and Doreen ("The Dirt Divas"), Jules and I ventured through the town of Valréas. That's Mom… Her smile has returned. bestiole (bes tee ohl) : little creature; insect, bug Example sentence: Elles ne savaient pas quel genre de bestiole c'était. They did not know what type of insect it was. *** I just ordered this book for my mom, Jules. … Continue reading bestiole
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 pinch, to nab; 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 … Continue reading choper
These ladies light up my life. Mom and I had an inspiring visit with the Dirt Divas. I wish I had had a tape recorder with me to capture some of the chippy bantering! From left to right: Malou, Jules, Doreen, Kristin. Click to enlarge the photo. avouer (ah voo ay) : to admit avoue-le! = admit it! Example sentence: J'avoue que je … Continue reading avouer
In the game of cache-cache, or hide-and-seek, Smokey-Doo has just made a not so strategic move…. Cher Smokey, find a better hiding place! Never miss a word or photo: get French Word-A-Day delivered by email, here. cache-cache (kash kash) : hide-and-(go-)seek Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these words: Jouons à cache-cache! Let's play hide-and-seek! Download MP3 or Wave file .A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse Hang … Continue reading cache-cache
Our son, Maxime, examines some weight-lifting equipment on his birthday. Notice the patch, just above his ear (read on, in today's story…). Never miss a word of photo: get French Word-A-Day delivered by email, here. les cheveux blancs (lay sheh veuh blahn) : white hair Also: le cheveu gris = gray hairles cheveux poivre et sel = salt-and-pepper hair Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce … Continue reading cheveux blancs
Never miss a word of photo: get French Word-A-Day delivered by email, here. Pictured: our daughter, Jackie, at the écurie, where today's story takes place… By the way, is anybody else as terrified by horses as I am? zone de confort (zown deuh kohn fohr) : comfort zone. Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the following French words:Download MP3 or Wav file sortir de votre … Continue reading zone de confort
Mom has arrived! Here she is in her bump-me-up outfit (do you see Frida Kahlo on the cape?), the one that got her whisked into business class the moment she stepped onto the airplane. "Who can resist Frida?" Mom demanded, with that testy twinkle in her eye, when I asked for the specifics of her airline upgrade. (Picture taken last February, during my visit to … Continue reading surclasser un passager
Break free, break through, break-the-rules… in fashion, in writing, in gardening, in cuisine, in living. Pictured: the latest "escapee" in our garden: allium (representing unity, patience, and humility). quand le jour viendra : when the day comes .Example Sentence, from today's letter written by Newforest: Vous lirez tout ça demain …, bientôt …., un jour …, quand le jour viendra… You will read all that … Continue reading quand le jour viendra
"Love in a Mist." One of the "locals", dressed to the nines for springtime. Thank you, Dirt Divas, for all the lovely flowers that are popping up in the garden! bien fringué(e) (bee ehn frehn gay) : well-dressed From "la fringue" (garment). Today's expression is used in informal speech! (Read: my daughter and her girlfriends use the phrase often!) Also: "Elle a de … Continue reading bien fringué
