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Learn French BLOG

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This Learn French BLOG takes regular little tips and quips, of useful French learning bits and pieces that might tickle the interest of learners of French language. If you have any tidbits to contribute do contact us via the Learn French Blog contact us form below.
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1 November, 2007

Imagine a MESH of candle WICKS

La mèche in French has a few meanings, and forms the basis of some nice little idiomatic expressions.

La mèche means:

wick, as in candle wick,
fuse, as in the fuse for a bomb, firecracker etc, explosive
lock of hair, or a tinted steak in hair
drill bit

To remember the word la mèche as a wick, imagine actress MICHELLE Pfeiffer lights a candle WICK which is shaped like a wire MESH ...

You can also imagine her lighting a FUSE which is a MESH.

People using the 200 Words a Day! courses know that we use Michelle, as a Gender Trigger, reminding us that in French, la mèche is feminine. MICH-elle even sounds a bit like MESH...

Because she is a famous person this makes recall of the word easier. Famous people are used extensively in our courses to help with such recall of vocab.

To remember the word la mèche as a lock of hair, or streak of hair, we can imagine actress MICHELLE Pfeiffer's locks of hair is like a wire MESH, with streaks in it.

Some expressions using la mèche

Vendre la mèche (literally, to sell the wick) or
brûler la mèche, (literally, to burn the wick)...
...means to reveal a secret...

...BUT...
Brûler la mèche de deux côtés.
To burn the candle at both ends.
Literally the French say, to burn the wick at both sides.
Daniel aimait brûler la mèche de deux côtés.
Daniel liked to party a lot, liked to burn the candle at both ends.

Être de mèche avec quelqu'un...
...means to be cahoots with someone.
Caroline est de mèche avec Françoise.
Caroline is in cahoots with Françoise.

18 October, 2007

The useful word, autant

Autant generally means 'as much', 'as - - as'.
There are lots of idiomatic expressions using autant.

Autant vaut être mordu d'un chien que d'une chienne.
One evil is as bad as the other. Literally this means - It's the same being bitten by a male dog as a by a female dog.

Cela est fini ou autant vaut.
It is as good as finished. It's as good as done.

Il n'a jamais autant plu.
It has never rained as much.

Ne perds pas ta salive. Autant parler á un sourd.
Don't waste your breathe (literally your saliva). You might as well be talking to a deaf person.

Cela m'agace autant que vous!
This annoys me as much as it annoys you.

28 September, 2007

Silence means consent...

Here's a useful little idiom...

Qui ne dit mot, consent.

Literally this means (He) who does not say a word, consents. In other words, if you keep your mouth shut you are giving consent...

8 September, 2007

Experimenting for EXPERIENCE - watch these ones for a subtle shift in meaning...

The French verb expérimenter means the same as it does in English... to try out, to test, to experiment...

...and the word for an experience is also the same - une expérience.

and, for example, she can have a lot of experience...
elle a de l'expérience

...or not a lot of experience
elle n'a pas de l'expérience

However, here is one to watch...

someone who is experienced is

expérimenté

... so remember this just remember that, in French, an experienced person is someone who has done LOTS of EXPERIMENTS. So just imagine a wizened old scientist, who has spent a lifetime doing experiments, as an experienced sea captain.

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