Three phrases from a new (published 2009) French novel I bought on Lille Europe station:
Jean-Michel Guenassia : Le Club des Incorrigibles Optimistes :
Une époque révolue : time past/gone not come round again.
Ces cheveux blancs en bataille : (literally: his white hair in battle/war) his white hair all over the place.
J’ai pris cent kilos ; à cause des régimes : I’ve put on a hundred kilos; all the fault of diets.