Chris Head Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 I think it's about time I familiarised myself after the bar do and also my boys tend to say stuff to each other that I think might be quite rude, so could I have a list of whatever it is I'm likely to hear please!Maybe pm might be better for the really bad stuff or the mods might just have a few more grey hairs by the end of the week[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meg Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 I've got this book Pardon My FrenchBut i am trying not to read it too much, for fear of accidentally using a word by mistake in conversation! [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 You need to get this book called : 'M e r d e ! or how to speak your best french' ...... some'it like that.... the M word was definitely in the title.It came out in the early 90's and had an orangey pinkey cover with a cartoon of something supposed to be Inspector Clouseau...very poor imitation.... Can't remember the author. Maybe if you Google or Amazon... Be warn the language has evolved since then and many words maybe out of fashion or no longer spoken.... Anyway you'll never be cool with them as you are just a Dad!! They'll outfox you anyday....[;-)][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayJay Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Um...........this isn't for the faint hearted, but it is to help you Chris! http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/French.1.html#so31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 [quote user="Meg and Mog"] ...... for fear of accidentally using a word by mistake in conversation! [:-))] [/quote]That's OK. One is supposed to learn from their mistake.....When I was young and over here (in UK) working behind a bar at this pub where I met my OH (I must have been drunk!) this chap one of the regulars and very good friend of OH, had to wear for quite some time a kidney belt for some injuries he had suffered on the rugby field. Both these men insisted on it being called a 'strapodectomy'! So innocent I was that at a wedding party for another regular where we had all been invited, someone said : What is X wearing?. It was a very hot spring day and he just threw away the penguin/tail jacket waistcoat and was down to shirt sleeves ...well nearly... I said : Oh! it's a strapodectomy belt because of his injuries at the last rugby match. [:$][:$][:$][:$] Needless to say that I didn't know what this 'thing' was and that conversation was soon stopped and me ended up in a corner of the marquee on my own for the reminder of the party..... Howzat for making a mistake.....[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 The only advice I can give (because I do not swear in French - I saythings like "zut" or "bonté devine". Nun-grade stuff. But then I say"my giddy aunt" in English.) is this: if buying sports shoes, pronounce"nike" to rhyme with "spike" and under no circumstances attempt tofrancophone it to make "niké" to rhyme with "piquer." This can lead toconfussion of an unfortunate nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Swearing has no emotional impact on you if you are doing it a language with which you didn't grow up. You can understand that the words are no-nos, but you don't FEEL that they are wrong in the same way. Probably because no one looked at you in shock when your were an impressionable child and told you not to say it.We were in Quebec with a group of French and Belgian comic book artists who hadn't seen each other for some while. They were asking each other how their various kids were, using the slang term, : les gosses. We started to notice that the Quebecois were very, very embarrassed. We finally forced one of them to tell us the problem. In French Canadian slang, gosses does NOT mean kids, but means b*lls! Oops.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 [quote user="Missy"]You need to get this book called : 'M e r d e ! or how to speak your best french' ...... some'it like that.... the M word was definitely in the title. It came out in the early 90's and had an orangey pinkey cover with a cartoon of something supposed to be Inspector Clouseau...very poor imitation.... Can't remember the author. Maybe if you Google or Amazon... Be warn the language has evolved since then and many words maybe out of fashion or no longer spoken.... Anyway you'll never be cool with them as you are just a Dad!! They'll outfox you anyday....[;-)][:D][/quote]Did you mean this one?I used to have a copy of this, lent it to an English friend moving to France, never saw him or it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 [quote user="Clair"][quote user="Missy"]You need to get this book called : 'M e r d e ! or how to speak your best french' ...... some'it like that.... the M word was definitely in the title. It came out in the early 90's and had an orangey pinkey cover with a cartoon of something supposed to be Inspector Clouseau...very poor imitation.... Can't remember the author. Maybe if you Google or Amazon... Be warn the language has evolved since then and many words maybe out of fashion or no longer spoken.... Anyway you'll never be cool with them as you are just a Dad!! They'll outfox you anyday....[;-)][:D][/quote]Did you mean this one?I used to have a copy of this, lent it to an English friend moving to France, never saw him or it again![/quote]Almost Clair, that's the follow on/update version. We have the original called M e r d e and it's quite entertaining, especially when we produce for our family and friends to help their French along!!If Chris wasn't so 'radin' he would but it, or even better we have the Oxford Hachette French Dictionary. It's the pocket addition, about A4 size and nearly 3 inches thick(so I got big pocketsesssss) and it has all the words that you could wish for Chris. It's only about £25. The ruder the word the darker the little circle next to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 I find that just stringing them all in one sentence, regardless of the context, makes me feel much better!P*t**n de de b*rd*l de m*rd* !!!!!!!! being one example... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 [quote user="JayJay"] Um...........this isn't for the faint hearted, but it is to help you Chris! http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/French.1.html#so31[/quote]Marvelous [:D]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DZ Posted November 13, 2006 Share Posted November 13, 2006 Indeed, marvellous! Have you seen all the other languages too?! I will study the French list and learn but thought I would check if the words in my native language were up to scratch. I can assure you they were! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted November 14, 2006 Author Share Posted November 14, 2006 Perhaps it's better that I just don't learn them? Ignorance being bliss and all that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Anglia Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Try reading Tintin in the original french, some brilliant swearwords from captain HaddockAnd in "Le Petit Nicolas", by Sempe and Gosciny, some more.........espece de guignol!Strangely, the French people I've ever seen get UPSET by bad language, seemed more irate at INSULTS, (like calling someone stupid), rather than oscenities.And the most shock I ever saw was when a man said to a young woman, "Ta gueule!" All the French there, gasped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 JayJay - we have the MERDE! book and I thought it was pretty funny stuff. However, your website takes the cake. Absolutely hilarious.Have saved it for future needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayJay Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Pleased you like it!It is quite good. I looked it up for the Breton section, it's quite amusing, but hard to get your tongue around though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmike Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Jay Jay - top site. I am half French and there was still a few in there I didnt know.My son lives and works in Paris so I have sent him the link (he is 26 so probably knows them already but its good info - to understand what others are saying not necessarily to use - honest!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I tend to agree with PG in that it just doesn't feel the same when you curse in a non-native language. Half the time, I am so angry, it doesn't come out right anyway - which of course makes it worse. I agree with redmike in that it is most helpful to understand what the other folks are saying, particularly the young crowd my daughter hangs out with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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