Cool French Phrases and use of language !!!

[alittlebitfrench]

When moving to France you have to blend in and look cool and not look like an idiot British type person.

So you have to learn cool French. That is the point about learning the language, it is about saying the stuff that people say everyday.

I will start this off. This is one of my favourites.

'Mes potes' = my mates.

Cool phrase !!!

Feel free to join in !!!

Come back BETTY !!!

[Tancrède]

Elle conduit comme une vache espagnole

I was delighted to overhear this entertaining adaptation the other day and thought at the time that it was worthy of a wider currency.

[Judith]

Costeau (no idea if that its correct spelling as never seen it spelt) is argot for strong.  I used fort the other day and a nice French lady in the market queue agreed, but used costeau, and said it was an argot word.  All done in French of course, though she knew I wasn't French (they always seem to know, even though they all say as well that I speak good French!)  So used to those who don't try, perhaps!!

[EuroTrash]

Yep, nice one - costaud. Can be a person or a thing that is sturdy and well-made

[Gardian]

“Nickel” and “Impecc” - for something that is good.

Our Belgian neighbours use “Chouette” for the same thing.

[alittlebitfrench]

"Nickel” and “Impecc”.....is a really good one.

Especially if you had had artisans around to do work. They will invariably ask you if you like their work.

Saying "Nickel” and “Impecc” is the perfect answer. Two words that say so much.

No long sentences, no complicated grammar.

Nickel” and “Impecc". If you can do the fingers and kiss thing at the same time.....its a thousand words!!!

[Patf]

cochonnerie , nom féminin

• Sens 1

  Familier

  Objet de piètre qualité, sans valeur, mal faite.

  Exemple : Que voulez-vous que je fasse de toutes ces cochonneries ?

  Synonymes :

  saloperie, pacotille

  Traduction anglais : rubbish

• My french neighbour used to say her dog would enjoy eating any old cochonnerie. eg long buried bones of dead deer etc.
• Not exactly 'cool' though.

[YCCMB]

I was just p***ing by ze door, as they say in 'allo ' allo, indulging in a spot of schaudenfreude, so off the top of my head, frangin and frangine are often more used than frère and soeur: among my friends anyway. And I love "la trouille" which is much more expressive than "la peur"

You have no idea how my spellcheck suffered for me to write that.

in my neck of the woods, and AFAIK only in my neck of the woods, people who go off to work "embauche" and when they leave work they "débauche". Every day, and at lunchtime.

[Noisette]

They embauchent in 47 too :-) But no débaucherie, which is a shame on so many levels.....

[alittlebitfrench]

@ Patf

I would translate 'cochonnerie' into English as "a big f***king mess"

Excuse the swearing, but I think that it is the best translation. LOL.

But it is in the top 10 words you need to learn and use in France.

[Yonner]

One of our neighbours, some years ago, in reference to someone else in the village said something like.."il pete plus haut que son cul"

he had to explain that he meant " he has ideas above his station"

I loved that, but not sure its cool.

[Loiseau]

Betty, they embauche and débauche in 85 too...

"Péter des plombs" is a phrase I have heard a few times. I am guessing it means “totally flipped”.

I was thinking Chancer might be along soon to remind us about the exceedingly useful "eurrrrrrrrrh", that can be held as long as you like to keep your place in the conversation while you think of a riposte.

[YCCMB]

And "bof". It's in the dictionary. Such is its importance.

[Judith]

Thanks!  Now I know how to spell it!! Costaud - that is, great!  I find I need to see the word to remember it rather than just hear it!

[Loiseau]

To be "pompette" - a bit squiffy.

[Lehaut]

"C'est pas normal" - its not right, for example a functionnaire is on a 2 hour lunch, or "fermature exceptionelle" after you have made a 2 hour drive to go to an office which should be open.

In my experience, its perfectly "normal" for these situations to arise on a regular basis!

[Loiseau]

LOL, Lehaut! So true!

And the "fermeture..." notice sometimes finishes with "Merci de votre compréhension" in lieu of apology, which can raise the annoyance level another notch.

[bonemachine]

how about

maigre comme une bicyclette

or

maigre comme un clou

and I used to love learning kid's slang from my sons and their pals

fastoche instead of  facile

: D

[Lehaut]

"Nids de poule en formation"

Have seen that on a proper road sign by the side of the effected area. If you have kept chickens, its very apt.

[EuroTrash]

" the "fermeture..." notice sometimes finishes with "Merci de votre compréhension" in lieu of apology"

But I think you need to look at that as an apology, since it's the standard equivalent of "apologies for any inconvenience". It's an acknowledgment that they are unavoidably causing a degree of inconvenience and relying on their clients to understand.

When I go away, I put "merci de votre compréhension" at the end of my French away message and "Apologies for any inconvenience" at the end of my English away message. I actually prefer the French, because why the heck should I apologise for going on holiday or having to travel to an assignment, why should anybody apologise every time something crops up and disrupts the expected routine, it's not like they did anything wrong.

I think the convention for apologising is simply something the English and French do differently.

[woolybanana]

We have had this one before: trou en formation, which means holes in training, which metamorphose in nid de poule as soon as they are trained. The imagination boggles; imagne what would happen if the trainers went on strike, would they simply be nid de poulet, or just unconverted trous, left all alone, stuck between two worlds.

How many fonctionnaires does it take to train one trou

Overheard in the vets today from a rather mutton painted as lamb lady who had a charming King Charles puppy; J’ai eu plusieurs cavaliers. I could not contain my self at this and let out a chortle. The vet turned away to hide his laughter. The lady smiled, then said with aplomb pas mal, pas mal.

[mint]

[quote user="EuroTrash"]" the "fermeture..." notice sometimes finishes with "Merci de votre compréhension" in lieu of apology"

But I think you need to look at that as an apology, since it's the standard equivalent of "apologies for any inconvenience". It's an acknowledgment that they are unavoidably causing a degree of inconvenience and relying on their clients to understand.

When I go away, I put "merci de votre compréhension" at the end of my French away message and "Apologies for any inconvenience" at the end of my English away message. I actually prefer the French, because why the heck should I apologise for going on holiday or having to travel to an assignment, why should anybody apologise every time something crops up and disrupts the expected routine, it's not like they did anything wrong.

I think the convention for apologising is simply something the English and French do differently.[/quote]

I agree, ET.  And some apologies can't possibly have any meaning, as in:  we apologise for the slave trade that was common, we apologise for what happened during the second world war, we apologise for what we as a nation did in 1815.

Too many apologies that are just so many empty words.  If someone did something to "wrong" me, I don't want an apology; I'd rather they did something to put it right.  And if that were not possible, then no amount of apologising is going to make me feel better[+o(]

[cajal]

[quote user="mint"]

Too many apologies that are just so many empty words.  If someone did something to "wrong" me, I don't want an apology; I'd rather they did something to put it right.  And if that were not possible, then no amount of apologising is going to make me feel better[+o(]

[/quote]

Hmm suprise,suprise. I make no apologies for this but I'm with you on this one mint.

Here's one to mull: 'Mon aéroglisseur est plein d'anguilles'.