I hope you'll enjoy the following re-run or repost or revisit (ah, better word!)–it is the chance to see a story that would otherwise be lost to the spiraling depths of this blog's archives (do you ever go there?). Thanks for reading (or re-reading).
Today's Expression: se moquer de quelqu'un
: to poke fun at somebody, to tease, to pull somebody's leg
Audio file & Example Sentence: Download MP3 or Wav file
Tu te moques de moi? Are you making fun of me?
Dear Mr. Chief Grape,
Tant pis pour toi! Too bad for you! Because of an ill-chosen word (a "term of endearment" you argue?)… you will not have le privilège of sporting my very first knitting experiment…
…but Smokey will!!!
No. These are not garment goggles…
The headband that I had been working on for you (to keep your precious locks out of your eyes when pulling all those weeds out from between the grapevines)… that work-in-progress bandeau took a swift deviation when my knitting needles froze, midair, on hearing your flippant commentaire.
Alors – Next time you stride into the room and notice your wife, her hands twisted like a pretzel, clutching a pair of slippery knitting needles, or aiguilles, yes, next time you see her eyes croisés in concentration, her fingers foaming from frustration…
Resist!
Resist such cheeky commentary as this: "Ça va, Mamie?"–or lose your right to wear an original, artisanal, (hysterical?) "yarn headpiece". My first!
Voila, Mr. Chief Grape, Ça t'apprendra! Yes, that ought to teach you to hold your tongue so as to avoid doozies such as "How's it goin', Granny?"
So now, let's be clear as cataracts: I AM NOT YOUR MAMIE!
Got that? Tu pige? Meantime, your loss is Smokey's gain! Ol' Smok-A-Roo seems pleased with his fashion accessory, which he deems "a little bit rock-n-roll, a little bit literary" (he hears David Bowie started the trend, after James Joyce… in fact, after a long loopy STRING of elegant men.
Quelle allure! Yarn + fur! Smokey is a fashion victime in the true sense of the word!
Furthermore, Smokey appreciates that "rough edge", that air de mystère that the hand-knit head garment affords him…. (now if he could only afford a pair of scissors to release him from it…)
So, Mr. Chief Grape, it is bye-bye bandau! Your would-be headband now belongs to this glam ham! Smokey is so pleased with his accoutrement that he has even put in an order for another merveille … knit from no other than "mémé"!
(He would humbly like to request a knitted sling, or une écharpe-langue for that droopy tongue of his (the aftermath, or les séquelles, of a horrible accident from his puppyhood).
Hey Mr. Chief Grape — maybe you, too, could benefit from a homemade tongue-sling? It might hold that loose tongue of yours in place!
Bisous,
"Mamie"
Related Blog Posts (click on the titles to read them)
"Learning to Knit". A shopkeeper takes the time to teach.
"Wounded": Our dog Smokey's accident.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
tant pis pour toi! = too bad for you!
le privilège = privilege
le bandeau = headband
le commentaire = comment
alors = so then
croisé = crossed
une aiguille = needle (sewing)
une aiguille à tricoter = knitting needle
ça va, mamie? = how's it going, granny?
la mémé = granny
tu piges? (piger) = get it?
une merveille = marvel, wonder
bisous = kisses (love)
Reverse dictionary
to hold one's tongue = tenir sa langue
Discover more from French Word-A-Day
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thanks for my morning chuckle! I remember this. 🙂
This is one of those moments that belongs to the “Take that …..”. Excellent story which I am sure that Jean Marc appreciates much more now.
This reminds me of when my wife and I lived in Switzerland some years ago. Our American electric blanket didn’t work with Swiss electricity so as the weather got cooler I went out and bought a hot water bottle. Oh, did my wife mock me! “Are you an old grandma now?” she teased. Then as the weather got downright cold she discovered just how nice that old standby can be. She soon bought one of her own and didn’t call me grandma any more!
Dear Kristi,
I remember you and a few others sharing knitting time together on the Normandy wine cruise a few years ago!
This is a great example of your wonderful sense of humor. Also an example of why I love your writing. You can go from meaningful, to thoughtful, to poignant to humorous, some stories to take seriously and some, such as today’s, not so seriously, but to just enjoy the chuckle. And…Jean-Marc is such a good sport!
Such fun! When I first found you and your blog I went back and read so many of the archives… but I must have missed this one. Thanks for the smile this morning.
Une douche écossaises pour M. Chief Grape?! Il la mérite!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Very funny! Thanks for sharing, again.
But, consider trying to knit again. It can be very relaxing, vraiment!
Bisous & happy Thanksgiving.🦃
Most enjoyable. Thanks Kristi.
I was one with whom she was sharing knitting time on that cruise. What a delightful time.
Kristi, please do NOT give it up completely. I would be happy to skype with you when you are ready to pick it up again.
Thanks to all for refreshing a pleasant memory.
Thank you, Celia. So good to see your message. Learning to knit from you on that cruise, and spending time with your Mom, and with Chris, was such a happy time for me. I do want to return to knitting, and I thank you for the offer 💕💕
I remember you and your mother, Celia! As I recall, my husband and I first noticed you both at o’Hare airport, waiting for the flight to Paris….one of you had an AMA cruise tag on a bag…a give away! It was a wonderful, magical trip, wasn’t it?
It sure was! Hoping for another meetup, sometime and somewhere in the future. 🌞💛
Such fun, all over again, Kristi! Millefois merci!! 💖