D. Allan Posted March 28, 2008 Author Share Posted March 28, 2008 battre (bahtr) verb, inf. to beat, flog participe présent: battant participe passé: battu -je bats -tu bats -il, elle, on bat -nous battons -vous battez -ils, elles battent « Nous avons battu les buissons, et un autre a pris l’oiseau. » = ‘We sowed; others reaped.’ or more literally : ‘We have beaten the brush, and someone else has taken the bird.’ « Il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud. » = ‘ We must strike while the iron is hot.’ or ‘It is necessary to beat the iron while it is hot.’ Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 beau-fils = stepson, son-in-law belle-fille = step-daughter, daughter-in-law beau-frère = brother-in-law belle soeur = sister-in-law belle mère = mother-in-law, step-mother beau-père = father-in-law, step-father beaux-parents = parents-in-law demi-soeur = half-sister demi-frère = half-brother "Toute femme contient une belle-mère." -Jules Renard Every woman contains a mother-in-law. (or step-mother?) Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted March 31, 2008 Administrators Share Posted March 31, 2008 *musing* Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 Plaisanterie (pleh-zahn-tree) nom fem. a joke « Poisson d’avril – c’est une plaisanterie traditionell du 1er avril » ‘April fish – its a traditional joke for April the first.’ poisson d'avril Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 craindre (krehndre) infinitive to fear, to be uneasy craignant fearing (pres. part.) craint feared (past part.) - Je crains -Tu crains -Il craint -Nous craignons -Vous craignez -Ils craignent « Chat échaudé craint l’eau froide. » - proverbe, A burnt child dreads the fire. More literally: “A scalded cat fears chilly water.” « Souvenez-vous ! La seule chose que nous ayons à craindre, c'est que le ciel nous tombe sur la tête ! » - chief Abraracourcix in the Asterix comics “Remember ! The only thing we have to fear is the sky falling on our heads. “ « Ne craignez jamais de vous faire des ennemis; si vous n’en avez pas, c’est que vous n’ave rien fait. » –Georges Clemenceau “Never be afraid of making enemies ; if you have none, it’s because you haven’t done anything.” « Qui craint de souffrir, il souffre déjà ce qu’il craint. » - Montaigne, Essais “He who fears suffering already suffers what he fears .” « L’homme qui ne craint pas la vérité n’a rien à craindre du mensonge. » - Thomas Jefferson The man who fears not the truth has nothing to fear from lies. crainte (krehnt ), nom, f. fear, dread « La crainte gouverne le monde, et l’espérance le console. » Duc de Lévis, de Maximes, préceptes et réflexions Fear rules the world and hope consoles it. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 3, 2008 Author Share Posted April 3, 2008 rien (r’yehng) indefinite pronoun, masc. I indefinite pronoun, masc. 1. anything ( in questions expecting a negative answer rien is preferred to quelque chose) « Y a-t-il rien de plus triste ? » Is there anything more sad ? 2. nothing, not anything « Rien ne l’intéresse.” Nothing interests him. « Je n’ai rien à faire » I have nothing to do. « Cela ne fait rien » That doesn’t matter. Familiar : « Il ne sait rien de rien. » He knows nothing at all. II noun, masc. 1. trifle; mere nothing 2. just a little « Donnez-moi un rien de frommage. » Give me just a taste of cheese. III gesture Rien! « Que-faites vous » « What are you doing ? » Rien! To signify "nothing", make a circle with your finger and thumb. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 Système d'allumage allumage , (ah-lew-mazhuh) nom masculine 1. the action of lighting (kindling fire; turning electric lights on or off) 2. ignition (as of a gasoline motor) synonymes : combustion, contact, démarrage, explosion, mise. Comme il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu... il n'y a pas de feu sans allumage! -Georges FEYDEAU, La Dame de chez Maxim, acte III, scène 5 Just as there is no smoke without fire... there is no fire without a spark! Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 4, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 4, 2008 The first thing I thought of when seeing allumage was lighting a match... To light a match is "allumer une allumette" So upon seeing that word as it pertains to a vehicle, one would quickly think of the ignition. ... just as my mind would think "essuie-glace" for windshield wiper. Upon looking it up, I see that my guess was pretty close- the word is not hyphenated. Literally it means, the "ice-wipe" There are a few things in other languages that just seem to make sense, while other things you simply have to memorize. Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 Isn't it neat that the word "bougie" is used for both "candle" and for "spark-plug"? As if autos use a candles to start combustion of the gasoline! Candle is most poetic. N'est-ce pas? Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 A la queue leu leu In single file The expression comes from the middle ages, when for "loup" wolf, they used the word "leu". Wolves would follow one another in single file, each following the tail of another wolf. The word for wolf has changed to "loup" but the old "leu" remains in the expression, à la queue leu leu. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 œuf (uhf) nom, masculin egg expressions : blanc d’œuf, egg-white jaune d’œuf, egg yoke œuf à la coque, soft boiled egg with runny yoke œuf mollet, cooked until the yoke is smooth oeuf dur, hard-boiled egg œuf brouillés, scrambled egg faire cuire un œuf to take a running jump (colloquial) (literally to cook an egg) « L'amour et les oeufs sont les meilleurs quand ils sont frais. » Russian proverb « Love and eggs are best when they are fresh » Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 7, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 7, 2008 Pronunciation here is tricky... Oeuf= euf oeufs (pl)= euh (f is silent) Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Thanks a million for that tip! Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 laid (leh), adj. masc. laide (lehd), adj. fem. 1. ugly 2. bad, not nice expressions: laid comme une chenille, ugly as a caterpillar laid comme les sept péchés capitaux, ugly as the seven deadly sins Le beau n'a qu'un type ; le laid en a mille. Victor HUGO, Cromwell, préface There is only one kind of beauty; there are a thousand of ugliness Hugo uses "laid," as a noun just as in English we too might say "The ugly is of a thousand types." Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 8, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 8, 2008 How about "laid comme un pou?" That was the response of my amie Française when I asked her about Gérard Dépardieu. We had been discussing French actors. A "pou" is a louse. Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 L'amie a raison! She's right! Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 donner (doh-neh), infinitive to give (donner aux pauvres, to give to the poor) to produce (Les fraises donnent cette année. The strawberries are bearing this year) donnant, giving – pres. part. donné, given – past part. Present conjugation: -je donne -tu donnes -il donne -nous donnons -vous donnez -ils donnent Proverbe « Qui donne tôt donne deux fois. » He gives twice who gives quickly. Citations « Il est possible de donner sans aimer, mais il est impossible à aimer sans donner. » Richard Braunstein It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving. « Il est une bonne chose de lire des livres of citations, car les citations lorsqu’elles sont gravées dans la mémoire vous donnent de bonnes pensées. » - Winston Churchill It is a good thing to read from quotation books, because when quotations are engraved upon your memory they produce good thoughts. « Le paradoxe, c’est le nom que les imbéciles donnent à la vérité. » -Paul Valéry Paradox is the name idiots give to truth. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 9, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 9, 2008 That picture of Gérard is still spooking me out LOL Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 He's somewhat handsome in this black and white photo with Brigitte Fossey. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 amitié (ah-mee-t'yeh), nom feminine friendship "Offrir l'amitié à qui veut l'amour, c'est donner du pain à qui meurt de soif." -Proverbe d'Espagne Offering friendship to someone who wants love, is like giving bread to someone dying of thirst. Right: Friendship and love are the only things which grow when shared. Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 11, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 11, 2008 I don't know if I quite believe that... I think that we can all use a good friend, even while dreaming of that special romantic time that will be ours one day. With a friend you can share that dream Although- if you are expecting love from someone and they are only willing to offer friendship, then you will die of that thirst, tis true! Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 You are absolutely right! The best of all times is when we have both bread AND wine! Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 injurier infinitive, tr. verb , injuriant pr. pr. ; injurié past pr. to insult someone, to call someone names Une soir, j'ai assis la Beauté sur mes genoux. - Et je l'ai trouvée amère. - Et je l'ai injuriée. -Arthur RIMBAUD, Une Saison en enfer, « Jadis, si je me souviens bien » One night I sat Beauty down upon my knees. - And I found her bitter. - And I insulted her. présent conjugaison injurie injuries injurie injurions injuriez injurient On oublie à chaque instant qu'injurier une foule, c'est s'encanailler soi-même. – Charles Baudelaire, Curiosités Esthétiques ; L’Art Romantique : Et Autres Œuvres Critiques One forgets while cursing the crowd that he is part of it. OR To Insult the riffraff makes you one of them. Which is best?? Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Gail Posted April 11, 2008 Administrators Share Posted April 11, 2008 I don't know, but I am curious about Beauty's bitterness Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Allan Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 There is this additional translation, (other than the usual bitter-tasting) Quote: amer (plein de amertume) adj. bitter (sight, look, tone) Perhaps he found that la Beauté had a bitter look, or a bitter attitude, a bitter heart? Maybe he plunked her down upon his knees too soon - ...? Some of the most beautiful people, I have heard, are themselves somewhat disenchanted with their beauty beliving that people notice only that and do not value or notice them for theirselves. As if suitors crowded after you because you had lots and lots of money! Quote dAb O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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