A French Phrase for Life in the Fast Lane

TODAY’S WORD: coller au cul : to be right on someone’s heelsPRONUNCIATION: [koh-lay oh kew] EXAMPLE SENTENCE:Il me colle au cul, celui-là ! → That person is right on my heels! The French word cul literally means “bottom,” and while it can sound a bit cheeky (or downright rude) in some contexts, it’s also part of many everyday expressions. You’ll see it in perfectly polite phrases like cul-de-sac (a dead-end street) or à pied … Continue reading A French Phrase for Life in the Fast Lane

What to serve our Guests? (and “Bob’s Your Uncle” in French)

The sign says “Open.” Coucou from La Ciotat. If you are visiting our city, why not stop into Jean-Marc's wineshop? Call ahead and he will be happy to see you at Le Vin Sobre  Bar à Vin. TODAY'S PHRASE: "Le tour est joué"     : that's all there is to it, and Bob's your uncle FRENCH SOUND FILE: Click below to hear Jean-Marc pronounce … Continue reading What to serve our Guests? (and “Bob’s Your Uncle” in French)

Name your favorite drink + What does the French “bredouille” mean in English? (Hint: it doesn’t mean ‘tipsy’)

If you were to visit Jean-Marc's wine shop, what would you buy? Tell us your favorite wine, drink, or boisson in the comments section. It could make for a lively thread! Today's Word: bredouille     : empty-handed, unsuccessful Audio/Listening: Click the link below to hear today's word + a dozen more vocabulary words. Next, scroll down to the vocabulary list to check your comprehension. Sound File, … Continue reading Name your favorite drink + What does the French “bredouille” mean in English? (Hint: it doesn’t mean ‘tipsy’)

chaparder

Still pinching images from Google image search (I promise I took these!) after my computer crashed one week ago (typing this post on my son's PC)…. This photo was snapped in St. Tropez. Its artist theme fits with today's story of the "tree artists" (or pirates, rather…). Read on, in today's column. chaparder (sha-par-day)      to pinch, to lift, to steal A DAY IN A … Continue reading chaparder

caviar d’aubergines

"Aubergines." An old door/former shop front in the town of Suze-la-Rousse. caviar d'aubergines (kah-vee-ahr doh-behr-zheen)     :  eggplant caviar . Audio file & Example Sentence: Download MP3 file or Download Wav "…profiter des bontés de cette généreuse saison des récoltes et courir acheter aussi des paniers d'aubergines et de courgettes, pour… ratatouille et … caviar d'aubergines." –from Le Soleil A Day in a French Life…by … Continue reading caviar d’aubergines