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Monthly Archives: January 2012
Personne !
I love to argue about this one because I always turn out to be right! ‘Personne !’ means nobody but ‘une personne’ is a person. This is ‘une personne’ whether the person in question is a man or a woman. … Continue reading
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Quand le vin est tiré…
Expand your knowledge of French phrases: Quand le vin est tireé il faut le boit: Literally: When the cork is drawn, you must drink the wine: In for a penny, in for a pound. Un malheur ne vient jamais seul: … Continue reading
Posted in French, Writers
Tagged Arnander, Claudel-Gilly, Hamlet, William Shakespeare
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Chien qui aboie…
Two more French phrases: Chien qui aboie ne mord pas: Literally: The dog that barks does not bite: His bark is work than his bite. S’entendre comme des larrons en foire: Literally: To understand each other like thieves in the … Continue reading
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La guigne
By now you will know whether your Friday 13th is progressing well or otherwise. Mine appears to be going quite smoothly so far (not ‘famous last words’ I hope). Here is a French phrase about bad luck: Avoir la guigne: … Continue reading
‘Les Punitions’ by Simon Parke
Les deux jeunes hommes étaient installés au bar et parlaient de leur enfance, plus particulièrement des punitions qu’ils avaient reçues. “Ton père t’a-t-il donné des coups de canne ?” demanda le plus grand. “Jamais,” repondit l’autre. “Mais il avait un … Continue reading
Better the devil you know…
Another translated French phrase: On sait ce que l’on quitte, on ne sait pas ce que l’on prend : Literally: One knows what one leaves, not what one gets: Better the devil you know [than the devil you don’t know] … Continue reading
Un verre de vin
Un verre de vin/bière : a glass of wine/beer Perhaps because ‘verre’ ends in e it is easy to imagine it is a feminine noun but it isn’t (‘un’ not ‘une’). Apparently, all over France, waiters sigh when we foreigners … Continue reading
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Too many cooks…
Two more French sayings: Autant de têtes, autant d’avis : Literally: As many heads as opinions: Too many cooks spoil the broth On est tous dans le même bain : Literally: We’re all in the same bath: We’re all in … Continue reading
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Castles in the air
Two more French expressions: Construire des châteaux en Espagne : lit.: To build castles in Spain To build castles in the air Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps : Lit.: One swallow does not make spring One swallow does … Continue reading
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‘Perdus dans la foule’ par Simon Parke
Nous avons parfois besoin de renouer avec notre propre bonté, que quelqu’un ou quelque chose nous accorde la grâce d’une conscience réinventée de ce qu’il y a de merveilleux en nous. Comment y arriver ? Cela peut se produire tout … Continue reading