Books, articles and poetry by Julia Bloch Frey
What’s a foreigner to do when a French word can mean so many things?
Sarah suggested lunch at L’Enfance du Lard. “C’est un resto médiocre, mais j’aime son nom” (Not a great restaurant, but I love …
Do you swim like a monkey wrench?
Le mois d’août ! In France it’s synonymous with holidays, for August is vacation month, and gives us words for the two pests of the season, aoûtats (chiggers) and aoûtiens (August vacationers). When it’s …
In France, the new year begins on September 1.
September in Paris. So many parties. We go to a cocktail for Laurent’s new novel, due out forla rentrée littéraire. “What exactly,” I wonder, “is a rentrée?” (re-entry). He …
Ramadan runs for 30 days.
There’s nothing more amusing than two foreigners trying to communicate in a third language. I’m having trouble understanding Mahmoud’s Algerian-accented French. He, in turn, cracks up whenever I say his name …
The world is full of objets encombrants (nickname: “les monstres”).
Lydie and I love to chiner — to go bargain hunting for brocante (“collectibles”, i.e. bric-a-brac).La chine doesn’t come from la Chine (China, same pronunciation) but from échine (spine), because rag and junk men used to …
Say It with Flowers
by Julia Frey
julia.frey@aya.yale.edu
But don’t give a friend chrysanthèmes !
“Comme c’est bizarre,” says Colombine, “every year for la fête des mères (Mother’s Day: in France, the last Sunday in May) ma belle-mère (my mother-in law) gives me a cactus!”
“C’est peut-être …
If you learn only one word in French, make it chou.
Sunday night, coming back from the country, everyone’s starving.
Philippe: “Venez donc chez nous, manger à la fortune du pot (Come to our house and eat potluck). Nous avons …
Foot-in mouth disease is rampant, even among the French
At a multilingual dîner en ville (dinner of powerful people), the pretty daughter of American personnalités (VIPs), in Paris to learn French, provoked well-bred amusement by mixing up j’ai chaud (I’m hot = …
How do you say “Catch 22” in French?
My husband and I need French permis de conduire (driver’s licenses). Makes me nervous. French paperasserie (red tape) is notorious. Of course, bureaucracy has a bad rep everywhere. Lately Le Monde discussed the nightmare …
In one irréductible (defiant) corner of the southeast, a sole soleil sparkles.
“Il pleut sur Nantes,” sings Barbara. It’s also raining on Paris, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Today’s carte météorologique (weather map) shows toute la Gaule (all …