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Horse puzzles – horse play
Here are 2 horse puzzles, games based on Horses that we put together for the kids next door to whom we were “teaching” English over the garden wall during confinement. I stood up on a ladder to see...
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The novlangue Covid Vocabulary list
We have never had so much new vocabulary come into play in a month. Many of the words can be used in both French and English, but there are a few cases where it is better not to mix them up. Here’s a...
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Why do you call it a canicule?
Word etymologies are great fun. Here’s a few pertinent ones. Canicule Usually this French word is translated to English as heatwave, but a more picturesque and almost literal translation would be “the...
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Faux Amis
BEWARE THOSE FAUX AMIS (WORDS THAT LOOK ALIKE IN TWO LANGUAGES BUT HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS, SOMETIMES DANGEROUSLY SO) AND INACCURATE TRANSLATIONS! You’re the Chief Information Officer of the French...
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Why is it called? Part 1: Pastries and desserts
Why is it called … Part 1: PASTRIES and DESSERTS Have you ever asked yourself why something is called by a particular name? Why are croissants, pain aux raisins and pains au chocolats called...
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Valentine’s Day – When Cupid’s bow is fired…
As far back as the early fourth century B.C., the Romans had celebrated an annual rite of passage for young men in honor of the god Lupercus. The names of willing young women were placed in a box and...
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Flirting with French: How a Language Charmed Me, Seduced Me and Nearly Broke...
There is an enjoyable style of light non-fiction where the reader shares in the author’s research and documentation via personal anecdotes and all aspects of the chosen topic are covered thoroughly but...
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3 games to test your French skills
Is learning things and having fun at the same time is possible ? I believe it is ! Just before Christmas, we decided to test 3 new games about the French language and tell you all about them. I have...
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English language press in France in an Exhibition
New Exhibition: Language Matters Why this exhibition ? Did you know that the French National Library holds almost 6,000 English-language periodicals (including your beloved FUSAC) that have been...
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Top 40 children’s names in USA, UK and France
Top 40 children’s names in USA, UK and France There is plenty of overlap in names for babies these days. Here’s a chart of the top 40 babies names to help you choose a name that will work in both...
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How do you translate… ?
by Shari Leslie Segall Newcomers, stay with us here: you might need this some day. Old-timers, has something like the following happened to you? You’ve moved to France and after several weeks, your...
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Hogtied in the Hexagon? part 1 of 3
Hogtied in the Hexagon? Part 1 Our choice of 15 Books to help you better understand France. First of all what is “hogtied“? To hogtie is an Americanism that goes back to about 1890 literally meaning to...
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How do you know you’re Becoming French?! 20 more ways
How do you know you’re Becoming French?! 20 more ways When you… have an Opinel or three know that seeing and hearing a rumbling mass of military planes and helicopters in the Paris sky around July 11...
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Valentine’s Day – When Cupid’s bow is fired…
Valentine’s Day – When Cupid’s bow is fired… As far back as the early fourth century B.C., the Romans had celebrated an annual rite of passage for young men in honor of the god Lupercus. The names of...
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Hogtied in the Hexagon? understand France part 2 of 3
Hogtied in the Hexagon? understand France Part 2 Our choice of 15 Books to help you better understand France. Part 1 of this article Part 3 of this article First of all what is “hogtied”? To hogtie is...
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Hogtied in the Hexagon? understanding France part 3 of 3
Hogtied in the Hexagon? understanding France Part 3 Our choice of 15 Books to help better understanding France. Part 1 of this article Part 2 of this article First of all what is “hogtied”? To hogtie...
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BEWARE THOSE FAUX AMIS
BEWARE THOSE FAUX AMIS (WORDS THAT LOOK ALIKE IN TWO LANGUAGES BUT HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS, SOMETIMES DANGEROUSLY SO) AND INACCURATE TRANSLATIONS! You’re the Chief Information Officer of the French...
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Franglais or Linguistic Stockholm Syndrome
Hints for Newcomers – Hindsights for Old-Timers Franglais or Linguistic Stockholm Syndrome by Shari Leslie Segall Did I just say that? Did I? Wow! Our frequently appearing Hints-and-Hindsights are...
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CONTEMPLATIONS ON CORONAVIRUS CONFINEMENT, CONUNDRUMS, CONSEQUENCES (in France)
This would have been my annual Paris Marathon article. Marathon postponed (we hope–i.e., as opposed totally ash-canned for 2020). My local chocolate-shop is closed. We are allowed to shop for only...
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The novlangue Covid Vocabulary list
We have never had so much new vocabulary come into play in a month. Many of the words can be used in both French and English, but there are a few cases where it is better not to mix them up. Here’s a...
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