YCCMB Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Some of these came as surprises to me. If I knew them, I didn't realise I knew them, if you follow me!Interesting!http://www.buzzfeed.com/bullo/42-choses-que-vous-ignoriez-peut-etre-sur-la-langue-francais?utm_term=.tf5R9anbJ#.rvNeE9Zx8NB Mint: this may cause you sleepless nights! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Don't you just find the best links?[:D]I'm going to have a good old read tomorrow but I won't even properly start tonight as, you are right, I'll probably go over them in my sleep!When I got to number 5, I smiled widely.............never knew the French were so much more happy than they were sad[:D]Certainly, one of the very first French words I learnt since coming here was triste! I went to open a bank account at the nearest town and the man asked me why I wanted to go and live there because the village of M is très triste...........Still, I've moved now and everyone tells me my present village is très sympa, so that's something, I suppose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Sacré bleu, Betty! Where do you get 'em from!?Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 1/2 way through an I brain ded, but I did make the link cliquable.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Bien joué, Monsieur Job. I've given up hope of ever being able to make that happen. Once upon a time, I could, but now nothing works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Excellent!I read caca d'œil as caca d'oie [:D]Now I know the latter describes the colour of a 1970's Allegro, is the former what we call "sleep in the eye"? Number 40 lists not only the 4 most employed verbs but what I have always considered to be the 4 most important and hence first to be learned, its amazing how many people who have lived here a long time and get by in French still cannot use some of them to any degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 If you were visiting friends with children in Canada and you were collecting them from school you would have to be a bit careful not to make a balls up of how you told people you were collecting your friends children [:-))] Number 30 [Www]There's 5 in that lot Chancer. I use them all the time. I just wish I knew where they went and what they meant though[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 [quote user="Chancer"]Number 40 lists not only the 4 most employed verbs ...[/quote]Well, if we're going to be a pedant, doesn't number 40 list 5 verbs?Dans l’ordre décroissant, ces verbes sont «être», «avoir», «faire», «dire» et «pouvoir». Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 If we are going to be double pendant there's an echo in here [6][6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 just sent this to 2 friends who are language teachers (one is English, the other French, both teach both languages). It will be interesting to see if they know any of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I was once talking to a french neighbour about the weather (as usual), which was damp, cold, miserable etc and she said it was "triste". Maybe the sky was crying? Or triste also means miserable, depressing.Would we ever say the weather was sad. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I'm told there are about 50 meanings of triste and hear it used about weather; gloomy, dreary, miserable weather would fit. Thanks for the link Betty, it was good fun reading through those. I wasn't so keen on the anagrams, but don't like them much in English either, although guérison to soigneur was interesting.It's always made much more sense to me to have septante, octante and nonante; I first came across them in Switzerland 30+ years ago in a pharmacy and it seemed so much easier than in French, especially when giving or especially hearing phone numbers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 GG, I quite agree about septante etc. Like you I first met them in Switzerland, probably about 20 years ago now, and ever since have wondered why on earth they have never been transferred across - so much easier. But I suppose we can blame that too on the AF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Good job I have not been to Quebec (no 30) as I often ask "et les gosses?"[:-))]The one about "après-midi" being either masculine or feminine, I have already posted about and had an answer from ericd. Not believing his reply, I looked it up in the dictionary and there it was, either would do!Still, doesn't matter when you are speaking but I used to pay extra care to write CET après-midi. You might not think that there is much cause to write about "this afternoon" but, in fact, I often need to to ask about or suggest place/time of meeting with my marche nordique group and we often finalise details the morning of the walk.There are no fewer than 4 retired teachers (I'm the only non-French) in our group and they had quite a bit of a discussion amongst themselves when I asked about the gender of après-midi.I also read an article about petit/petite being used all the time in France (un petit café?) by some exasperated Frenchman who wants us all to think and talk BIG like Americans! I know, perish the thought......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 If apres midi can be used either way doesn't that make it neutral? Perhaps even ambidextrous?Just as a matter of interest, I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Jonz, I hear that the buzzword is transgender or, for short, trans?If you have "transed" and wish to trans back, would you have to undo all that you did in order to trans in the first place?Thought you'd know the answer to that one, Jonz?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I have to admit that I did wear a skirt for just over a year, in my mis-spent yuuf[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]But I was a piper at R.A.F. St Athans. So I don't think that counts [blink]Please don't mention the socks. Everyone usually does [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I have to admit that I did wear a skirt for just over a year, in my mis-spent yuuf[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]But I was a piper at R.A.F. St Athans. So I don't think that counts [blink]Please don't mention the socks. Everyone usually does [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 A fine figure of a man! I love the spats - is that what they're called? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 [quote user="Jonzjob"]I have to admit that I did wear a skirt for just over a year, in my mis-spent yuuf[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Johninkilt.jpg[/IMG][/URL]But I was a piper at R.A.F. St Athans. So I don't think that counts [blink]Please don't mention the socks. Everyone usually does [:-))][/quote]And very pretty you look too, Jonz.Don't worry I am not going to ask you about les gosses à la quebecois!But what DO you wear under your skirt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I thought we all knew that, Mint! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Me [8-|][6][8-|][6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 My but that's a fine badger you have about your person. I bet that kept your ...errr....knees warm!American woman to Scottish soldier'Say is anything worn under the kilt?''No Ma'am, it's all in perfect working order' [:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 He had to have the badger because he's not wearing trousers so he couldn't very well put a ferret down them now, could he? ....duh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Time to get back on sujet before we all get barred. I'm not badgering you or trying to ferret about to get back, but [:-))]It looks as if the French are finally trying to AZERTY themselves http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-eu-35365604Who but the French would require an uppercase "......" [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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