Photo: an earth-friendly alternative to tumble drying. Today we are talking about Frenglish: Friend or Foe? List some of les mots franglais that you have encountered and tell us whether you are charmed–or alarmed!–by the mixing and mingling of languages. Share your thoughts in the comments box. essorer (eh-so-ray) verb 1. to wring out, twist; to air, to dry; to spin dry 2. (old French) … Continue reading essorer
A condemned door in the town of Visan. Over the bar, the train of life continues and a splash of sunshine reveals itself in the fruit along the vine. Comment on this photo, here. A is for Allègre, the perfect word for my painterly friend. Read about Tessa in today's story column. In music: Songs in French for Children allègre (alegr) adjective : jolly, … Continue reading allegre
The "Gâteau Savane" from today's story. Those are the pine cones that Christiane helped me to collect. And that, there, is a very old roof tile. The cursive reads "fait" and "30 juin". gâteau (gah-toh) noun, masculine : cake Plus la part de gâteau est belle, plus elle a de chance de tomber de travers dans l'assiette au moment de la servir. The prettier … Continue reading gateau
My mom, Jules, in 2003 (one month after her first mastectomy). She found her bike at the French flea market for 15 euros. vélo (vay-loh) noun, masculine 1. bike, bicycle [from vélocipède] La vie, c'est comme un vélo, il faut avancer pour ne pas perdre l'équilibre.Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. –Albert Einstein AUDIO FILE: Listen … Continue reading vélo
I forgot to charge my camera's batteries, so Jean-Marc took this photo (and more, below) with his telephone. Can you make out which monkey is my daughter, which singe is my son, and which one is Braise-the-Dog? More about our walk up Sainte-Victoire in today's story column. une grimpette : a steep little climb Example:C'est là que dans sa grimpette la rue du repos … Continue reading grimpette
Photo taken in Visan, land of a million cats! Whether slightly color-blind, like this black-and-white cat, or completely non-voyant, Louis Braille believed that the gift of literacy belonged to everyone. Read more about this remarkable Frenchman who, as a child, would change the world. non-voyant (nohn-voy-ahn) noun, masculine* : visually handicapped person * the feminine is “non-voyante” (nohn-voy-ahnt) French definition: “une personne qui ne voit … Continue reading The Legacy of Louis Braille: Empowering the Blind: Non-Voyant
Red, White, and Blue! (And, regarding the sign over the door… we trust this ship is now on course.) Today we are talking about where we were when we witnessed the historic inauguration (see today's story column). Please join in, in the comments box! le serment (sair-mahn) noun, masculine 1. oath 2. pledge la prestation de serment = taking the oath, the inaugurationprêter serment = … Continue reading serment
photos © Kristin Espinasse. Outside the tasting room at Domaine du Mas de Martin. Looks like someone sampled a few too many… More winos at the end of today's story. Talk about today's photo in the comments section. What do you see? What is missing (what would you like to add)? What kind of chien do we have here? un tuyau (twee-yoh) noun, masculine 1. … Continue reading tuyau
Photo taken this morning… in the town of Visan. What strikes you about the image? Help us to see it, in detail, through your eyes, in the comments box. Many thanks!autrement dit (oh-truh-mahn-dee) : in other words Autrement Dit / In Other Words(…or how not to get too personal when "the sweet life" turns to salt) I was all set to write a story … Continue reading autrement dit
A cozy town somewhere in Provence… Talk about today's photo in the comments box. What do you see? What do you like? What is oh-so-French about this scene? Can you tell me a story, no matter how imaginary, about the homeowners? Look closely and unwrap the various "morsels". Close-ups are found at the end of this post.Today's French word: bicoque (bee-kohk) noun, feminine : … Continue reading bicoque
