The Paris Blog: Paris, France Expat Tips & Resources » Language

The Slang Time Warp of Expats

La Mom — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:04:23 +0000

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 what I’ve overheard:

At the expat get-together:
Kansas Mom: Dude, Montana Mom has a groovy poncho.
La Mom: I love it. It looks like it’s Missoni.
Kansas Mom: Oh là, I dig it even more knowing it’s a Missoni.
Kansas Mom is clearly stuck in a 1970s slang time warp.

Texas Mom: Mmm, Quebec Mom made paté for us. I can’t wait to eat some.
California Mom: Gag me with a spoon. I hate paté.
Texas Mom: Do you like foie gras?
California Mom: No way, José. Barf me back to the stone age.
Texas Mom to La Mom: Did she really just say, “Barf me back to the Stone Age?”
La Mom: Are you from Southern California? How long have you been in France?
California Mom: How’d you know? Too long.
California Mom = stuck in a 1980s slang word time warp.

>more examples

How to Fake French

Laurie — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:27:49 +0000

Super cute video that Anglophones can easily relate to!

The Cheapest Good French Classes

Posted in Paris — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:57:14 +0000

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 courses cost as little as 1oo euros. For 60 hours of instruction, it’s the best deal in town.

But, there’s a catch! Signing up isn’t quite as easy as we’d like it to be and you must register in advance. Since the courses are cheap by Paris standards, lots of folks are vying for a classroom seat. To secure a spot, you need to stay on top of registration opening and closing dates*, fill out and mail in your enrollment paperwork (Bulletin d’Inscription), and, in some cases, follow up directly at the school where you applied to take the course (classes are held in Paris’s public school buildings). After the registration closing date, you’ll receive a response as to whether you’ve been accepted or put on a wait list. If accepted, the response letter will explain next steps, including payment, evaluation, and getting your ID card. The courses are extremely popular so there’s a slim chance you may be wait-listed. Don’t be discouraged! After the first few classes of the semester, many individuals drop out and spaces open up. Keep inquiring with the school to see if you can get in.

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Oops, I Did It Again

American Girls Are — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:51:41 +0000

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 of iron?

Me: Oui! (insert big, please-don’t-ask-me-more-questions-because-I-don’t-understand-you smile)

Madame Pharmacist: I don’t think we have that much….blah blah blah….blah blah blah? (smile smile, wink, wink)

(other pharmacists smiling and nodding)

Me: Oui! (I have no idea what you just asked me).

Madame Pharmacist: Oh OK! blah blah blah…congratulations!..we’ll have to order more…blah blah…pick it up tomorrow. Have a nice night!

Me: Merci, au revoir!

It wasn’t until later when I replayed the pharmacy conversation in my head that I realized I told them I was going to have a baby.

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Offended by “Mademoiselle”

Rue Rude — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:01:37 +0000

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 why we don’t call an unmarried man “my damoiseau” or even “young virgin”? It’s not surprising, since this distinction is reserved for women. (Damoiseau is the male equivalent of demoiselle (damsel).)

Yes, in France in 2011, men and women are still not treated equally: one salutation for men, two for women!

Therefore Osez le féminisme [Dare to be a feminist] and the Chiennes de garde [Watchdogs] are launching a campaign called “Mademoiselle—one box too many” to remind us that the distinction Madame/Mademoiselle is neither flattering nor obligatory. And above all, that it is a sign of the everyday sexism that persists in our society.

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Strange Kind of Lady

Rue Rude — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:35:26 +0000

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 name. Charlie’s Angels, for example, becomes Drôles de Dames (“a strange kind of lady”). And that’s just the beginning.

French at the Supermarket

Rue Rude — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:38:03 +0000

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”?

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“Sur le Pouce”

Prete-Moi Paris — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:32:59 +0000

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 on the thumb” which is a reference to the way workers, soldiers and laymen would probably handle their food. A piece of bread or cheese and a knife, used to cut of bites and put them directly in the mouth. This kind of situation would mean eating without a table. I can imagine all those Eiffel tower workmen seated on the giant metal beams, eating their bread and sardines with only a knife.
The place I love to go to eat when I need to have something “sur le pouce” actually does allow us to eat at tables, with forks AND knives! Oooo! Fancy! But they are VERY small and the entire restaurant is smaller than my living room. But it is delicious, and they have lots of customers, a good sign as to how well you can eat there.
Minh Chau serves up Vietnamese food, no frills, no questions. You can eye the food in the window while they make it right in front of you. You grab a table if one is available, order when they look at you, and eat with your elbows pressed to your ribs so you don’t jab at your neighbor. It is a simple concept, and simple food. The concept is : you are hungry…you eat, and it’s cheap. You can fill your belly for 6 euros.
Minh Chau on 10 Rue Verrerie 75004 Paris serves up Vietnamese food, no frills, no questions. You can eye the food in the window while they make it right in front of you. You grab a table if one is available, order when they look at you, and eat with your elbows pressed to your ribs so you don’t jab at your neighbor. It is a simple concept, and simple food. The concept is : you are hungry…you eat, and it’s cheap. You can fill your belly for 6 euros.”

10 Rue Verrerie, 75004
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Brasserie, Bistro, Cafe–What’s the Dif?

Eye Prefer Paris — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:10:26 +0000

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 like charcuterie, plats de mer, steak tartare, onion soup, and confit de canard. Brasserie also means brewery and many of them serve a good selection of beer on tap. Some well known Parisian brasseries include Brasserie Lipp, Bofinger, Vaudeville, and La Coupole.

Bistro/Bistrot
A bistro is a small, informal, neighborhood restaurant with simple food, usually with a single owner or chef-owned. They are open at set times, approximately from 12PM to 2 or 2:30PM for lunch and 7:30PM to 10:30 or 11PM for dinner and most of the time closed either Sunday or Monday, or both. Legend has it that how the name bistro came about is when Russian soldiers were at a restaurant in Montmartre on Place du Tertre in 1812, their food was too slow in coming, so they yelled “Bistrot! Bistrot!”, which means quickly in Russian. Some of my favorite bistros are Le Reminet, Chez Janou, L’ Atelier d’Antan, and Chez Dumonet.
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Vueling’s Verbalization

Laurie — Fri, 27 May 2011 09:49:13 +0000

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 English—instead of in French, the language of the destination country. Also, employees of businesses inside the Valencia airport all preferred I speak English rather than French. I understand that the former has replaced the latter in international parlance. But France is Spain’s next-door neighbor, so that bugged me.