Category: Braise The Dog

Braise The Dog, Smokey

The 5 senses in French + Smokey’s Grief

Pictured: Sam and Breizh, in 2009. Smokey's parents met and eloped in Marseilles. It is the most amazing story ever. A miracle! Please read  "Chien Perdu" here. (But don't miss the update, below). l'ouïe (wee) noun, feminine    : hearingRelated Terms & Expressions:  l'ouï-dire = hearsay, rumor  avoir l'ouïe fine = to have sharp hearing  avoir l'ouïe un peu dure = to be hard of hearing  être tout ouïe = to be all ears  à portée … Continue reading The 5 senses in French + Smokey’s Grief

Kristin Espinasse98 Comments
Braise The Dog, Smokey, Smokey's Accident

Woof woof! Bow wow! Aboiement (or how to say dog bark or barking in French)

Nothing to do with today's word, just an iconic zinc bar in Marseilles: Le Bar de la Marine (made famous by Marcel Pagnol in his "Marius" Trilogy. un aboiement (ah-bwa-mahn)     : bark, barking (of dog) Also: aboyer = to bark, un aboyeur (une aboyeuse) = a barking dog Reverse dictionary: to bark up the wrong tree = porter plainte contre la mauvaise personnehis bark is … Continue reading Woof woof! Bow wow! Aboiement (or how to say dog bark or barking in French)

Kristin Espinasse25 Comments
Almond Trees, Braise The Dog, Walking

fugueuse

       Almond trees, "lemons", or jalopies… near the town of Orange, France. fugueuse (foo geuhz) noun, feminine     : a runaway => the masculine is fugueur (foo guer)=>Also: la fugue: running away ; faire une fugue or fuguer = to run away ; le fugitif (la fugitive) Sound File: Listen to American-accented French… in today's audio file (the Francophones in the house are doing la grasse mat* … Continue reading fugueuse

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Braise The Dog, Puppies

Tug of War in French, with puppies

The game of tir à la corde is illustrated here by our pups. le tir à la corde     : tug-of-war   A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse This'll be quick today… for by the time you receive this missive, I will be on a train heading north to the American Library in Paris. And, on a less exciting note (so as not … Continue reading Tug of War in French, with puppies

Kristin Espinasse24 Comments
Braise The Dog, Puppies

Attacked by Puppies!

Photo of the puppies (beneath my son's legs) with their little identity tags (having just returned from the vet). Read today's picture story "Puppy Fodder" in which Braise-The-Dog and I offer up our ears, fingers, and toes to the Puppy Gods… before they go. (This is their last week with us…) le fourrage     : fodder Audio File and Example Sentence Download Wav or MP3 Le fourrage … Continue reading Attacked by Puppies!

Kristin Espinasse35 Comments
Braise The Dog, Puppies

larron

Le Petit Larron — The Little Thief. larron (lah rohn) noun, masculine     :  thief l'occasion fait le larron = opportunity makes a thief Le larron does not seem to be used in conversational French (my daughter taught me the word after she learned it in her French class while reading a classic text) … so here are some useful synonyms: un escroc (swindler, con … Continue reading larron

Kristin Espinasse21 Comments
Braise The Dog, Puppies

Our New Puppy & Dog Commands in French

Max and Jackie with baby Braise, 2006 la fifille(fee-fee) noun, feminine  : affectionate term for "my little girl" or "sweetheart" Petit Larousse (French) definition: fifille = fille, fillette (girl, little girl)   Audio File & Example Sentence:Listen to my (then 11-year-old) son, Max, pronounce the following sentence:Viens ici ma fifille! Come here, my girl! Download MP3 or Download wav French Expression:filfille à sa maman = … Continue reading Our New Puppy & Dog Commands in French

Kristin Espinasse46 Comments
Braise The Dog

Comme Si de Rien N’Etait

After a spell in Marseilles (Hex in the City?) the dogs are hanging out now, like angels, at the farm. That's the seductrice (winking). Sam "The Man," the gentleman gigolo, is looking camera shy. Click to enlarge this photo. comme si de rien n'était     : as if nothing had happened Sound File & Example SentenceDownload MP3 audio clip Les chiens nous regardent, comme si … Continue reading Comme Si de Rien N’Etait

Kristin Espinasse62 Comments
Braise The Dog

creve

Now that you know the ending to our lost dog story, we can slow down a bit — and learn the middle part! (Click on the photo to enlarge… and please excuse the marchand de sable or "sandman" in Sam The Man's eyes, but you'll allow him the excuse of complete exhaustion, won't you?!). crevé(e) (kruh-vay) adjective     : exhausted, dead beat Audio File & … Continue reading creve

Kristin Espinasse55 Comments
Braise The Dog

chien perdu

Our beloved dog, Braise. Photo taken one month ago…. CHIEN PERDU     : LOST DOG. Audio FileDownload Chien "perdu" MP3 file .A Day in a French Life…by Kristin Espinasse A terrible thing happened at the breeder's in Marseilles: the dogs escaped. Jean-Marc and I arrived at the boarder's (who, I now admit, were not really brothel owners at all–but a sympathetic couple who run a … Continue reading chien perdu

Kristin Espinasse129 Comments