French Word of the Day: French Word of the Day May 2004

Sent: Monday, May 31, 2004 6:41 PM

glauque = gloomy

Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 8:57 AM

quoi = what

E.g. pour quoi faire ? = what for ?

à quoi bon ? = what's the point ?

Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 10:08 AM

(un) trou = a hole, a gap

être dans le trou = to be six feet under

être au fond du trou = to hit rock bottom

aller au trou = to go to jail

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 8:42 AM

(une) mouche = a fly

faire mouche = to be right on target

prendre la mouche = to be upset ("to take the fly")

Quelle mouche te pique ? = What has gotten into you ? ("what fly stung you?")

Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 7:34 AM

(une) baleine = a whale

E.g. http://www.saltworks.us/shop/product.asp?idProduct=63

Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 9:59 AM

Dimanche = Sunday

noun + du dimanche = an amateur ...

E.g. un poète du dimanche = un amateur poet

un tennisman du dimanche = an amateur tennis player

Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 8:33 AM

(un) polichinelle = a kind of toy, if anyone know if it has a name I'm interested

http://www.btl.bialystok.pl/jubil/casidan/polichinelle.jpg

un secret de polichinelle = an open secret

Elle a un polichinelle dans le tiroir = she's got a bun in the over ("she's got a polichinelle in the drawer")

Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 7:06 AM

(une) chouette = an owl

Also an adjective to describe something good, great, cool, nice...

C'est chouette! = It's great!

Il a été chouette avec moi = he was nice to me

Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:00 AM

Un ami / une amie = a friend

un petit ami / une petite amie = a boyfriend / a grilfriend ("a small friend" ?)

un copain / une copine = a friend, except when used with a possessive when it takes the meaning of boyfriend / girlfriend e.g. mon copain / ma copine - my boyfriend / my girlfirend

Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:17 AM

(une) débâcle = a debacle, a fiasco

Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 1:55 AM

un apprenti / une apprentie = a trainee, an apprentice

Les apprentis: sweet-and-sour comedy about two losers and their struggle to find money, love and happiness.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112386/

Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 10:08 AM

ébriété = intoxication

E.g. conduite en état d'ébriété = driving under the influence

Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 8:57 AM

(une) cacahuète (I'm 90% sure you can spell it cacahouète or cacahouette as well) = a peanut

In Quebec and African countries, (une) arachide is the preferred way to call peanuts.

Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 7:20 AM

(un) coup = a knock, a blow, a hit (the "p" is silent)

(un) fil = a string, a wire, a cord

(un) coup de fil = a phone call

E.g. donne-moi un coup de fil quand tu as deux minutes = give me a call when you have two minutes

Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 8:59 AM

Subject: RE: French artist of the day

Booba: hardcore gangsta rap from the suburbs of Paris. Not for the faint of heart - if you can understand anything the guy says, that is, since it sounds like he was chewing small rocks during the recording sessions.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005V6JK/qid=1084162144/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2__i2_xgl15/102-9501125-0194514?v=glance&s=music

New album "Panthéon" out today, highly recommended. Listen to "Numéro 10" and "La faucheuse"

http://booba92i.artistes.universalmusic.fr/

Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 12:08 AM

(un) plaisir = pleasure

faire plaisir a quelqu'un = to please someone

E.g. si ça peut te faire plaisir = if it'll make you happy

avec plaisir! = I'd love to! (enthusiastic answer to a request)

And in the news in France today:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=856&ncid=856&e=2&u=/nm/20040507/od_uk_nm/oukoe_odd_france_prostitute

Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 9:39 AM

(un) hic = a snag