I’ve noticed lately that a lot of my expat friends seem to be in a slang word time warp. Do slang words learned before moving abroad stay through the years in one’s expat life? Does slang stand still over time? Je pense que oui. It seems to be the case in La Mom’s entourage. Here’s [...]

Super cute video that Anglophones can easily relate to!

Language schools abound in the City of Light, but it’s difficult to find a program that provides quality instruction and doesn’t break the bank or wreak havoc on your schedule. However, the language program offered by the Mairie de Paris fit the bill–knowledgeable teachers, after-work hours, and convenient locations. The best part? The semester long [...]

On Thursday I stopped in my local pharmacy to pick up a prescription, and it went a little something like this… Me: (in my best be-nice-to-be French) Bonsoir Madame Pharmacist! I need this prescription filled, please. Madame Pharmacist: (in rapid-fire French) blah blah blah blah blah blah…that’s a lot of iron. Are you sure that you need 8 bottles [...]

Caption: It’s absolutely none of our business but we still demand to know if you are a virgin, unmarried, divorced, a widow, or just a naïve young thing…. Someone sent me this article, from a website called Madame ou Madame. It’s about a new campaign against the word Mademoiselle. Mademoiselle—One box too many Have you ever wondered [...]

This photo reminds me of the frustrating hunt through the Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Élysées (a fun store otherwise) when you are looking for a specific DVD in English. The store sells lots of DVDs in version originale (abbreviated V.O.) but the title is rarely the one you are looking for– it’s always sold by its French [...]

Trying to find a common theme here. I think it’s just that it’s hard to imagine another country’s name being used so much to persuade you to buy something. “Creamy German dressing”? “Decaf British roast coffee”? “Country-style Belgian fries” (which would be more authentic)? “Canadian manicure”? A magazine called “Country Dutch”? >more

This fun French expression is used to say you are eating a quick bite (generally reserved for busy people at lunchtime or theater goers who won’t have time for a proper meal before a 7:30pm show, for example. The phrase has been used since the early 19th century, and literal meaning in English is “eating [...]

I was asked to explain the different distinctions of French eating establishments by a client last month. Below are four categories: Brasserie, bistro, café, and salon de thé. Brasserie A brasserie is a restaurant that serves the same menu all day, sometimes with a few specials/plat du Jour. The cuisine is classic French with dishes [...]

Although the Francophonie is getting larger globally—that is, the number of people who speak French—use of the language seems to be on the decline in certain corners of Europe. Yesterday when I traveled from Spain to France on Vueling airline, all the announcements on the plane by flight attendants were made in Spanish and in [...]