The exact meaning and origin of "fuzzy dice" is unclear, but one theory holds that U.S. pilots in World War II used dice in their cockpits for good luck, and they continued the practice when they came home from the war. (Text & image from Wikipedia) dés en peluche (day on peh loosh) noun, masculine : fuzzy dice. Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French … Continue reading des en peluche
Braise, Smokey, and family wish you bonne fêtes… "many happy returns"! If Smokey looks a little pained in this picture, it is the photographer that is troubling him: why, he wonders, is her cross-eyed face contorting like that? Wouldn't "Cheese!" or "Ouistiti!" be just as effective in getting us to smile? How she troubles herself! poix (pwah) noun, feminine : pitch noir comme poix … Continue reading poix (pitch) + Night blindness while driving
My 10-year-old style-conscious daughter. More in today's story… photo taken two years ago, when this edition was first published. le secours (suh-koor) noun, masculine : help, aid, assistance, relief * * *Viendra au secours de la peine d'autrui celui qui souffre lui-même.(He) will come to the aid of the suffering other, … Continue reading secours + how to say “first aid” in French?
The sign on the back of the old truck says "(ride) in complete security…with Michelin tires". sans plomb (sahn plom) noun : unleaded Example Sentence & Audio File follow, below) A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse (Note: the following story was written in September 2007) At the gas station in Camaret I study the menu. I wonder whether to "fill 'er up" … Continue reading Sans Plomb
In the moss-covered village of Rochegude… a courtyard, above, located beside the writer's den that I mentioned in a recent post.. parole (pah-rol) noun, feminine : lyrics; word (spoken). Audio File: Hear Aunt Marie-Françoise pronounce the French word "parole":Download Parole Download Parole À la parole on connaît l'homme. –PA Manzoli Help translate today's quote? …or share one of … Continue reading parole
Cruisin' through the Tuscan Vauclusian countryside yesterday… My husband still gives me driving lessons (from the passenger seat). I tell him I've been behind the wheel for 23 years. Apparently, says he, it's time to learn to shift gears. Conduire (kohn-dweer) verb to drive. In the winter of 2001, I left work at the vineyard each night to drive myself to driving school, careful … Continue reading conduire
A wee fender-bender in the neighborhood… well, that's one way to meet your neighbor! Read on in today's story column. le choc (shok) n.m. : impact, crash, bump; clash; shockToute culture naît du mélange, de la rencontre, des chocs. A l'inverse, c'est de l'isolement que meurent les civilisations. All cultures are born out of mingling, meetings and clashes. Conversely, civilizations die from isolation. –Octavio Paz … Continue reading choc
un klaxon (klak-sohn) noun, masculine 1. a horn And the verb klaxonner (klak-soh-nay) = to hoot or sound one's horn, to honk Expression:klaxonner quelqu'un = to hoot at someone; to give somebody a hoot Citation du JourLa plupart des automobiles du monde marchent à l'essence. Les autos françaises marchent au klaxon. Surtout quand elles sont arrêtées. Most of the automobiles in this world run on … Continue reading un klaxon
