French Word of the Day February 2003

Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 8:36 AM

Bref = brief/short. Feminine: brève

E.g. une brève interruption = a brief interruption

Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 8:48 AM

Attacher = to tie (up) / to fasten / to attach

E.g. Attacher de l'importance à quelquechose = to attach importance to something

Attachez vos ceintures = fasten your seatbelts

Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:17 PM

Grave: serious, solemn. E.g. C'est un grave problème = it's a serious problem

Also, slang for "very, too much". E.g. Je suis grave à la bourre = I'm very late

Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 9:53 AM

(une) panne = a breakdown/failure

(un) oreiller ("oh - rey - yea") = a pillow

Une panne d'oreiller = a pillow failure, i.e. forgetting to wake up

Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 8:27 AM

(une) BA ("bé - ah") = Bonne Action = good deed

E.g. faire une bonne action

Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 12:06 PM

And let's end this synonyms week with synonyms of being late:

Être en retard (normal way to say it)

Être à la bourre (slang)

Être charrette (to be overwhelmed by a task and not able to finish it on time, slang)

Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 10:49 AM

Other useful synonyms…this time, of "drunk":

Saoul or soûl (pronounced "sou")

Bourré

Beurré

Fracassé

Rond

Blindé

...

More information on this important and vast topic can be found here:

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/french_cool/boozing.shtml>

Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 8:45 AM

Speaking of kids, some more synonyms, nicest ones first:

(un) chérubin

(un) bambin

(un) petiot

(un) marmot

(un) moutard

(un) mouflet

(un) gamin

(un) gosse

(un) mioche

(un) morveux

And probably some more I forgot or don't know. As usual, I offer rewards in exchange to any addition to that list :)

Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 9:06 AM

Batifoler = to play innocently, like a child. Also means "to flirt"

E.g. "Laurent a 25 ans, mais il aime batifoler dans la neige comme un enfant de 5 ans" "Laurent's 25 but he likes to play in the snow like a 5 year-old kid"

Sent: Monday, February 17, 2003 8:24 AM

A popular saying about women driving:

"Femme au volant, mort au tournant" = "Woman behind the wheel, death around the corner", literally

Disclaimer: This email is for educational purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are not the author's. Or are they ?

Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 9:32 PM

Se détacher = to stand out (against )

Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 8:34 AM

(une) accolade = a curly bracket, a hug/embrace

I find funny how { } is referred to as a hug, but that's just me...

Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 5:34 PM

(une) tête = head

E.g. garder la tête froide = to keep a cool head

Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 5:04 PM

Some more expressions with oeil/yeux:

Faire les yeux ronds = to look surprised ("to make round eyes")

Faire de l'œil à quelqu'un = to make eyes at somebody

Tourner de l'œil = to faint

Sauter aux yeux = to be obvious

Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 7:23 PM

(un) oeil (euh - yeu) = an eye

Plural: des yeux

Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent = an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth

Avoir le mauvais oeil = to be jinxed

Regarder quelqu'un d'un mauvais oeil = to give someone an evil eye

Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 4:02 PM

Coudre = to sew (very difficult one to conjugate, I won't even try)

E.g. C'est cousu de fil blanc = you can see right through it (litterally: "sewed with a white thread")

Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 8:19 AM

(un) nerf = a nerve (the 'f' is silent)

E.g. "Tu me tapes sur les nerfs" = "You're getting on my nerves"

Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 7:58 AM

(un) lapin = a rabbit

E.g. poser un lapin = to stand somebody up

Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 9:28 AM

Sympathique: nice, pleasant, friendly, likeable

Abbreviated into "sympa", and even "sympatoche". E.g. "Il est très sympa" "He's very nice"

Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 8:08 AM

rédhibitoire = prohibitive (cost) / insurmountable (obstacle)

E.g. "100 € pour une place de concert, c'est rédhibitoire" = 100 euros for a concert ticket is really prohibitive