Kitty Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 So I was at the vets at a seaside resort accompanied by 8 year old son, who goes to school here. The vet clipped my dogs nails and said there was no charge. I said (in French) can I give you some money to support a charity? The vet replied 'Ici, nous sauvons les phoques', I looked very puzzled, my French not being good enough to know what he meant. He turned to my son (who had not been listening to my conversation): "Qu'est-ce que c'est, un 'phoque'?". My son 's eyes widened and he looked at me in horror.P.S. un phoque is a seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 I think I may have told this story before, but one day when we were Cancale we were amazed to hear lots of little children shouting un phoque, un phoque ! Luckily we worked out what they meant when we spotted the baby seal in the harbour ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted February 16, 2008 Author Share Posted February 16, 2008 RH - that made me laugh, [:D] [:D] It's strange that it's un phoque. It sounds like a feminine noun to me but before posting, I did check that it's masculine. What I didn't say is the vet couldn't explain what it was very easily because my son didn't know the word - you try telling a foreigner what a seal is, without flapping your hands going oink oink - and so he had to google the word on his computer to get an image for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 We like Cancale but several times 'out of the ordinary ' things have taken place there, once we arrived and there was a music festival which was terrific, twice (different years) we have been eating in one of the restaurants and an English choir has appeared and sung.(Greensleeves both times) Another time we were eating lunch and my friends suddenly said 'there are a green man and woman walking up the street' - of course we thought she was tipsy, but in fact it was a festival of the oyster and there was a parade of about 20 men and women, dressed in green and holding baskets of oysters, passing by. Then of course un phoque......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastines Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 AS mentioned on my previous posting the Phoque is still around the corner from us ,halfway down to St.Suliac.Apparently the same one has been going around this end of the Rance for 2-3 years. She managed to get in via the lock by the barrage. As for Cancale and surounding Dinan/Dinard/St.Malo/Le Mont etc.etc. There is always something going on , not only watching seals.Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 And if you say it wrong it becomes .................????[8-)]What brought a look of horror to your sons eyes ? Come on let me in on the joke [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Come on Pads! It's a sound-alike... pronounced fok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Rhymes with ruck, suck, muck [:$][:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Ahhhhhh I thought it meant some thing else in french [blink] Thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 My favorite one is when you say quater to an hour in french [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keni Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Ok, that one has gone over my head this time - what am I missing on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Don't ask me!! [8-)][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 I'm sitting here, trying to say 'moins le quart' very quickly to see if it is rude! Pads - you are going to have to let us out of our misery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 Monica? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Now you've really lost me...[blink][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 Clair - Is there another way of saying 'quarter to' in French other than 'moins le quart'? I have been trying to pronounce it in lots of different ways. Monica is what you could say in one pronunciation. Another is mind the cat, perhaps? Oh I give up. Where is Pads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose (& Greyman) Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I think it may be along the lines of moins quart....as in m'wan kar [:$]. Try saying that quickly. Similar to moins cuire as said to my OH at a market when buying bread with a slightly paler crust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 "..........Try saying that quickly. Similar to moins cuire................ and using a Benny Hill style chinese accent no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEO Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Try saying .......would you be so kind and pass me, the fork'n knife ,very quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I take it , that I must be saying it wrong.........[:$] but I thought Less=Moins sounds like wang and quarter =quart sounds like car.Dosnt any one else say it that way ?? I thought that was why my teacher taught me the 24 hour clock so I had to say 11.45 in stead of quarter to 12 [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I would say, less like car and more as though it rhymes with baaah (as in what a sheep says!) with a slight, gutteral r at at the end. As for moins, then yes - a mwang sound but without the g being pronounced. Having said that, I think it's very difficult to do this (write a sound) as the two languages really do have their own unique sounds which are hard to replicate in print!But I wouldn't say it rhymes with Merchant Banker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 [quote user="Pads"]I take it , that I must be saying it wrong.........[:$] but I thought Less=Moins sounds like wang and quarter =quart sounds like car.Dosnt any one else say it that way ?? I thought that was why my teacher taught me the 24 hour clock so I had to say 11.45 in stead of quarter to 12 [:)][/quote]Now I understand, Pads!! [:D] With yours and with Leo's "cutlery", I've been chuckling out aloud and my 8 year old wants to know why. [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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