Month: April 2013

Porquerolles

tergiverser + pictures of the French island of Porquerolles

The island of Porquerolles is only a 15-minute ferry ride from coast (near Giens and Hyères). More, in today's story column. tergiverser (tehr-zhee-vehr-say)     : to hem and haw, to dither Also: to delay, to procrastinate, to put off, to dally, to shilly-shally or dawdle or linger or tarry… Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce tergiverser and the example sentence, below: Download MP3 or Wav file Lorsque … Continue reading tergiverser + pictures of the French island of Porquerolles

Kristin Espinasse86 Comments
Renovation, Typography

pagaille + typography photos

Typography is the theme tying today's photos together. Enjoy and, if you know someone who appreciates lettering, please send this on!(Picture taken in Salernes, pottery-making village and more!) pagaille (pah-geye)     : shambles, chaos, havoc, mayhem, disarray; mess, disorder Audio File: Listen to the next four lines: Download MP3 or Wav file quelle pagaille! = what a mess!mettre la pagaille = to mess upsemer la pagaille = … Continue reading pagaille + typography photos

Kristin Espinasse70 Comments
Teddy Bears

le nounours + teddy bears spotted in France (photos)

Pooh Bear, you've got competition in France. Share today's "extra" edition with a Teddy Bear lover. le nounours (noo-noorce)     : teddy bear  Word origin: Nounours–from un ours (en peluche), or a "stuffed bear," is French baby talk. See a list of French Baby Talk here. Audio File:  Download MP3 or  Wav file Un nounours c'est un câlin à quatre pattes.A teddy is a cuddle with paws … Continue reading le nounours + teddy bears spotted in France (photos)

Kristin Espinasse104 Comments
Renovation

How to say “to fall for it” in French? + the charming “door curtain” (photos)

If you thought the previous story was a bit fishy… it was! (Photo of the fishmonger’s taken in Brignoles.) Today’s word, an expression, really, comes from a comment following Monday’s post. Claudette Kunsay writes: Oh! Kristin, je suis tombée dans le panneau comme bcp d’autres !!! Et j’étais si fâchée contre ces hommes de loi!!! Je trouvais la situation ridicule mais, tout est possible. Oh, Kristin, … Continue reading How to say “to fall for it” in French? + the charming “door curtain” (photos)

Kristin Espinasse48 Comments
Uncategorized

French word for catacombs + photos of French locks

In case you ever wondered just who gets stuck cleaning the catacombs of Paris… (Photograph taken by Michael Reeve) Very sorry for the hasty letter today (the sound file and "word of the day" will return–along with the regular edition–on Wednesday). I'm in a hurry as I need to be in Paris by 9 a.m. for three days of community service. The local authorities contacted … Continue reading French word for catacombs + photos of French locks

Kristin Espinasse282 Comments