Author Archives: Tournesol

Un octet

Posted on 6 November 2011 by Tournesol

‘Un octet’ is not a musical group with eight instruments (‘un octuor’) or a poem with eight lines (‘un huitain’) but ‘a byte’ in computer terms. One day I shall treat you to a whole section of computer words but, for … Continue reading →

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‘La Chandelle’ par Simon Parke

Posted on 4 November 2011 by Tournesol

Perdu au milieu d’une pluie intérieure torrentielle, balayé par des rafales de vent, dans les plus sombres recoins de mon âme détrempée, j’ai été surpris, puis émerveillé, puis stupéfié, de découvrir une chandelle allumée. Je ne l’avais pas allumée ou … Continue reading →

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La barbe !

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Tournesol

‘La barbe !’ (‘the beard!’). This is usually said while stroking one’s chin (not sure if it works so well for women, though). It translates as ‘I’m bored’. I have realized only recently that this expression must have grown from meaning that … Continue reading →

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Attila the stockbroker

Posted on 2 November 2011 by Tournesol

Attila the stockbroker(l’agent de change) and Stalin Having lunch last week in Brighton (Terre-à-Terre) with a dear friend, we got to discussing careers. I maintained that if a child of mine became a stockbroker I would disown them, which seemed to … Continue reading →

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Les cadeaux – presents

Posted on 30 October 2011 by Tournesol

Taken from Catherine Cusset: ‘Un Brillant Avenir’ La nuit tombe. Ils ouvrent les cadeaux. Des dizaines de cadeaux que la grand-mère a préparés depuis des années pour Alex et sa future épouse. Marie se rend compte qu’elle remplit un rôle … Continue reading →

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Intimer…

Posted on 30 October 2011 by Tournesol

False Friend alert…! From the context in which I was reading it yesterday, I could tell that ‘intimer’ does not mean ‘to intimate’. So back to the Roberts-Collins dictionary to see what it does mean: ‘to order, to summon, to … Continue reading →

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‘La Spirale’ par Simon Parke

Posted on 28 October 2011 by Tournesol

‘La Spirale’: La voie empruntée par le mystique n’est pas une ligne droite. Nous ne terrassons pas les dragons les un après les autres, procédant dans l’ordre chronologique vers l’accomplissement final. La voie empruntée par le mystique n’est pas un … Continue reading →

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Un Américan tranquille

Posted on 28 October 2011 by Tournesol

Can you spot a mistake in the above book title: Un Américan tranquille ? When I first borrowed this novel by Graham Greene (‘A Quiet American’) from Portsmouth and Southsea library I had to go to my Collins-Robert dictionary to … Continue reading →

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Un brillant avenir

Posted on 26 October 2011 by Tournesol

Un Brillant Avenir  par Catherine Cusset Ils traversent de vastes pelouses desséchées avant de parvenir au monumental palais du Peuple, blanc comme un gâteau recouvert de glaçage. ‘C’est plutôt beau,’ dit Marie. “Tais-toi,” ordonna Alex. Elle le regarde avec surprise. ‘Ceausescu … Continue reading →

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Gary McKinnon

Posted on 26 October 2011 by Tournesol

Aussi: le licenciement abusif : unfair dismissal: I was dismayed, but not surprised, to read this morning that this vile government (la coalition) is proposing to scrap the right to claim unfair dismissal. But what can one expect from a … Continue reading →

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