And…what the heck was all that about? It seems there’s a lot that gets lost in translation here, and even if I did have a complete grasp of French language and grammar, more often than not, still I’d be at a loss for words. Plus, I’m not even going to make a guess at non-verbal idioms.
My 202 professor is French (I may have mentioned this), and I think that she feels her duty is not only to hand us the reins of Francais, but also to impart some further understanding into French culture…through language. Which I like, being a closet psycholinguist. Already, my first exam in her class has included a whole section that required knowledge of the vocabulary of idioms. If you are “haute comme trois pommes” (high as three apples) like me, you’re a very small person; if you “n’as pas froid aux yeux” (don’t have cold eyes), you are fearless – particularly when it comes to displays of athleticism; if you are “fleur bleu” (blue flower), you’re a hopeless romantic. I suppose that last one comes from the German philosopher Novalis and the Romanticism movement. But now I’m just showing off.
To me, it’s interesting that English – a language that is perhaps 30% of French origin – has so few idiomatic overlaps. The only one we covered that corresponds is “memory like an elephant.” Actually, French people also say “j’al la pêche” when they’re feeling good, but I’m refuse to count this one, because who actually says they’re feeling peachy anymore? (Put your hands down, you. You should be ashamed of yourself.) And why the elephant one made the leap, I have no clue. Can anyone get me a study of elephantine cognitive powers?
As English-speakers, we don’t often think about the absolutely insane things we say (a little bird told me, I’ll eat my hat, straight-faced, etc.)…the same, I suppose, goes for the French. Most of the time when Isabelle or some other miscellaneous French person throws out an idiom, I don’t even catch it, or I think I’ve simply misheard. I have, however, asked for several particularly odd ones to be repeated that were just too strange to be missed. It’s hard to get them explained, but from my understanding…
For instance: “avoir le cafard” (to have the cockroach) is to be down in the dumps. Well, obviously. Who wants a cockroach? Incidentally, I asked about that one because I thought I heard the word “canard,” and I can’t seem to let go of any duck references.
Or, if you’d rather give out the cafard than get it, you can tell someone “aller se faire voir chez les grecs” (to go show oneself among the Greeks), or to go to hell…I’m not an expert on French history, but what have they got against the Greeks? Maybe it’s outmoded, and the new, updated expression has something to do with italiens. Damn azzurri.
Finally, the most colorful one I’ve found is “gagner les doigts dans le nez” - I’ll readily admit that my grasp of French prepositions is poor, but I believe this means to win with one’s fingers in their nose. Or in English, to win easily. Enough said.
So now you know (and I know) some useful expressions that might color up my experience here in Provence. And all this will hopefully have me speaking like a regular native and not “comme une vache espagnole" - a Spanish cow. Still, I don’t think I’m fooling anyone…all my French prof’s efforts to teach me how to speak like the French isn’t worth a hill of beans if I can’t properly conjugate the verb “s’asseoir” and I can’t say it in the correct accent. Oh, well (tant pis)...c'est la vie.
My 202 professor is French (I may have mentioned this), and I think that she feels her duty is not only to hand us the reins of Francais, but also to impart some further understanding into French culture…through language. Which I like, being a closet psycholinguist. Already, my first exam in her class has included a whole section that required knowledge of the vocabulary of idioms. If you are “haute comme trois pommes” (high as three apples) like me, you’re a very small person; if you “n’as pas froid aux yeux” (don’t have cold eyes), you are fearless – particularly when it comes to displays of athleticism; if you are “fleur bleu” (blue flower), you’re a hopeless romantic. I suppose that last one comes from the German philosopher Novalis and the Romanticism movement. But now I’m just showing off.
To me, it’s interesting that English – a language that is perhaps 30% of French origin – has so few idiomatic overlaps. The only one we covered that corresponds is “memory like an elephant.” Actually, French people also say “j’al la pêche” when they’re feeling good, but I’m refuse to count this one, because who actually says they’re feeling peachy anymore? (Put your hands down, you. You should be ashamed of yourself.) And why the elephant one made the leap, I have no clue. Can anyone get me a study of elephantine cognitive powers?
As English-speakers, we don’t often think about the absolutely insane things we say (a little bird told me, I’ll eat my hat, straight-faced, etc.)…the same, I suppose, goes for the French. Most of the time when Isabelle or some other miscellaneous French person throws out an idiom, I don’t even catch it, or I think I’ve simply misheard. I have, however, asked for several particularly odd ones to be repeated that were just too strange to be missed. It’s hard to get them explained, but from my understanding…
For instance: “avoir le cafard” (to have the cockroach) is to be down in the dumps. Well, obviously. Who wants a cockroach? Incidentally, I asked about that one because I thought I heard the word “canard,” and I can’t seem to let go of any duck references.
Or, if you’d rather give out the cafard than get it, you can tell someone “aller se faire voir chez les grecs” (to go show oneself among the Greeks), or to go to hell…I’m not an expert on French history, but what have they got against the Greeks? Maybe it’s outmoded, and the new, updated expression has something to do with italiens. Damn azzurri.
Finally, the most colorful one I’ve found is “gagner les doigts dans le nez” - I’ll readily admit that my grasp of French prepositions is poor, but I believe this means to win with one’s fingers in their nose. Or in English, to win easily. Enough said.
So now you know (and I know) some useful expressions that might color up my experience here in Provence. And all this will hopefully have me speaking like a regular native and not “comme une vache espagnole" - a Spanish cow. Still, I don’t think I’m fooling anyone…all my French prof’s efforts to teach me how to speak like the French isn’t worth a hill of beans if I can’t properly conjugate the verb “s’asseoir” and I can’t say it in the correct accent. Oh, well (tant pis)...c'est la vie.
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3 comments:
I LOVE this post! From the fresh baguette man to the height of three apples, I was smiling like a Spanish cow with its fingers (hooves?) up its nose.
WOW, would I be lost! For me I think the hardest thing to do is to learn another language. It was hard enough to learn "Texan" with words like ya'll (you all) and a new meaning of the word fur (which in Texas means for). I can't imagine learning Spanish, although Molly is still trying to teach me let alone French! Keep up the great work fur itl all be over soon pardner (could'nt resist throwing a little Texan in there)
haha...oh uncle dave...i hear you're planning a trip to pittsburgh. say hi to all the yinzers! and say hola to molly for me, too.
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