MDR: the French version of LOL. It stands for mort de rire, which means “death of laughter.” Cute, non? Though I was recently told (by an actual French person!) that the French do know and use LOL and that quelques français even SAY “lol” (not “L-O-L,” literally “lol”). lol.
That time we laughed in Tours
Posted in .edu, Mot du Jour
VDM is the French version of FML.
It stands for Vie de Merde, and the site contains vos histoires de la vie quotidienne (your everyday life stories). Their slogan is “Ma vie c’est de la merde, et je vous emmerde,” which kind of means “My life is sh*t, and I don’t give a f*ck.” This isn’t a direct translation. Technically it means “My life, it’s of sh*t, and I f*ck you,” but somehow I don’t think that’s exactly what the French are trying to say. Either way, it’s a little more harsh than FML’s subtitle, which is “Get the guts to spill the beans.”
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Posted in .edu, Salopes Aiment Ceci
Faux pas: social blunder. You know, like wearing colors in Paris or Abercrombie past the 8th grade.
Drinking a Natty with a cop might be a faux pas. Whatever the hell I’m wearing in this photo would also fall into that category…
Posted in .edu, Mot du Jour
Pompette: basically the equivalent of “tipsy” en anglais. As in it’s only okay for girls to use this word, and even then not really.
So the next time you get into the cups and your host Madame is all, “Oh, tu es ivre (drunk)! Vraiment beurré (wasted/buttered)!” You can be all, “Nonnnn, je ne suis pas ivre! Je suis juste pompette.”
Posted in .edu, Mot du Jour
Today’s mot is only my very favorite French word EVER: monnaie.
monnaie (noun, feminine): currency or change. As in, do you have la monnaie for a dollar?
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Since Giverny closes for winter on October 31st, we decided to go plenty of time in advance…October 30th, of course.
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Un sans domicile fixe (SDF): a homeless person. You know how the French love acronyms.
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In honor of Halloween demain, my first French word of the day is déguisement.
The debut to my short-lived career as a film star
déguisement (noun, masculine) [day-geeze-eh-mont]: what les français call a costume.
My first déguisement, as a hobo
Last night I was telling my host family about my plans of bringing Halloween à Paris, and I didn’t know the word for costume. When in doubt, add a French accent to the English word. CostOOME? I tried. They immediately knew what I meant but said, “Non, c’est un day-geeze-eh-mont.” At first I thought that was such a funny word to mean costume, but then it occurred to me that it had the same root as the English word disguisement, and then it occurred to me that actually the English word isn’t disguisement but disguise. I’m losing English words left and right, y’all, and my spelling has gone to shit. Anyway, Joyeux Halloween from Paris, and don’t forget your déguisement!
My personal fav handmade déguisement, Furby – KA 90’s theme party 2010
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Somehow I mixed up my Leonardos, and wound up at da Vinci‘s château instead of DiCaprio‘s. Quel dommage. But as it turns out, Leonardo da Vinci was kind of a badass and invented, like, 6000 things, including the helicopter and the latex condom. Continue reading
When traveling abroad, it is good to learn basic language. “I’d like a beer.” “Where’s the bathroom?” “I need a taxi.” “Just not in my hair.”
Below is a list of useful phrases (followed by the translation and pronunciation) that I compiled for one of my friends who was brave dumb enough to come to Paris sans any knowledge of French.
-Bonjour: Good morning.
-Bonsoir: Good night. “Bon-swa”
-Comment ça va?: How are you? (not super formal) “Com-aunt sa va?”
-Bien: Well. “Bee ehn.”
-Où sont les toilets?: Where is the bathroom? “Ooh sont lay twa-lets?”
-Où est …?: Where is…? “Ooh ay…?”
-Je voudrais …: I would like … (ordering food/drinks) “Je voo-dray…”
-Je ne parle pas le français: I don’t speak French. “Je ne parrel pa le francais.”
-Parlez-vous l’anglais?: Do you speak English? “Parlay voo l’ang-lay
-Je m’appelle Lucy: My name is Lucy.
-S’il vous plait: Please. “See voo play”
-Merci: Thank you.
-Non/Oui: No/Yes
-Je suis perdu. Voici mon address.: I am lost. Here is my address. “Je swee pear-doo. Vwa-see mon addrESS.
-Pardon: Excuse me. “Par-DON”
-Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Just kidding!
Comment if you think of any I left out. Bonnes vacances!
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