Kristin Espinasse's Blog, page 78
March 31, 2014
aimant + How to be a Chick Magnet + recipe
They don't say chick magnet in French. Here, it's aspirateur de gonzesses(literally, that's "vacuume cleaner of broads")
un aimant (ay-mahn)
: magnet
Example Sentence
Les aimants décoratifs servent à maintenir les messages sur la porte du frigo.
Decorative magnets are useful for holding messages on the fridge door.
France and Monaco Rentals:short-term holiday rental properties throughout France.Click here for pictures.
Last Chance for Best Price
Tuesday night the price nearly doubles, so get First...
March 28, 2014
livre numerique - limited offer!
"With my husband's blessing, I quit my job and turned my attention to writing, learning to spell and punctuate along the way." --from the chapter "Valorisant." (Thanks, Patrick & Sandra, for the photo!)
Good news: C'est prêt! It's ready: the e-book version of First French Essaisis live! For a limited time, get the e-book at this price.
Then read the chapter "Valorisant," and let me tell you how a below-average student came to write French Word-A-Day, for university professors.Order the e-book...
March 26, 2014
How "to pamper" in French & some intruders...
Late, late... with the kitchen update! May this snapshot hold you over. Don't mind the compost, and ignore the wires coming out of the wall. And those bottled plants (euphorbia, but which kind?) are a failed attempt to screen the electrical "juttings."
bichonner (bee-show-nay)
: to pamper
se bichonner = to pamper oneself, to doll up
Example Sentence:
Ses jeunes vignes? Il les bichonne!
His young vines? He pampers them!
A Day in a FRENCH Life... by Kristin Espinasse
Le Bichonneur et Les Intrus
Some t...
March 24, 2014
Flic: A near-collision with the cops!
Thank you, Eileen DeCamp, for your photo vignette of Jean-Marc's wine & my First French Essais! Eileen titled her picture, "Two of my favorite things!!!"With any chance, Eileen's photo, taken on Seabrook Island, SC,will work better than my publicity stunt, filmed here near Bandol!
le flic (fleek)
cop
Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's word and example sentence
Download FlicorWav
A Toulon, j'ai été poursuivie par un flic.
In Toulon, I was pursued by a cop.
March 20, 2014
No "tire-bouchon"? + How to open a bottle of wine with a BOOK! (video)
You don't have to drink wine to benefit from today's incredible tip! (I use the opened bottles for ice tea.) Don't miss today's lively, one minute demonstration on how to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew.
Style & comfort in the beauty of the Provencal countryside.4 bedrooms & a study with a sofa bed, each with ensuite (full) bath. Villa comfortably sleeps 7-9 adults.
le tire-bouchon (teer-boo-shohn)
: corkscrew
Un tire-bouchon est un ustensile utilisé pour tirer le bouchon en liège nat...
March 17, 2014
culotte de cheval + new "prix amical" for book!
Do my thighs look big?Some would be surprised French women ask themselves this question. But three months till summertime and, truth is, the French--men, women, and even children--are already dieting! They're talking about it at the picnic table, in the school yard, and in programs on T.V.
The other day I overhead the term "culotte de cheval" and guessed the subject was fashion (as in "riding pants are out this season"). How wrong I was...
culotte de cheval (kew-lowt-deuh-shuh-vahl)
: jodphur...
March 14, 2014
Tips for entertaining + book update!!
Exciting book update at the end of this post! First, take note: Cousin Audrey, from Banneret, and Caroline, from Rouge-Bleu, will be pouring their wines in PortlandatPastaworks(Hawthorne, Saturday 03/15 from 3-5 PM & City Market, Sunday 03/16from3-5.PM)Don't miss this!
sans façon(s) (sahn fah-sahn)
: no, thank you
: unceremoniously
A guest at last night's dinner party taught me a new way to say "No, thank you!" (when the hostess offers an extra serving. Here's an example:
Audio File: Download M...
March 13, 2014
My new book is available now! One reason to buy it today...
Ça y est...It's book launch day! First French Essais is now available here, on Amazon.
A Very Special Day in a French Life...
The morning sun is warming the countryside and still I'm trembling like a leaf--trying to write this crucial book launch page without a PR team, without a marketing director, without Mom.
Like the two shots of coffee I've just downed, I trust Mom will kick in very soon with a plan that would make Og Mandino proud.
"You don't have to be The Greatest Salesman in the World,...
March 11, 2014
Meet up near Bandol!! + Manger la soupe sur la tête de quelqu’un
It's time to meet up at my place--or very near it! Since leaving Domaine Rouge-Bleu, where we welcomed visitors weekly, I have not organized a cozy get-together. How about an April rendez-vous? More details in the story column below... First, the expression of the day:
Manger la soupe sur la tête de quelqu’un
: to be taller than someone else, so tall you can "eat soup on their head"
Example Sentence
Today's colorful expression was given to me by my friend Sophie, after she saw my 18-year-old fo...
March 8, 2014
Pictures of our yard
Kale blossoms! So many surprises outside. Last night my ears were tickled by the call ofles grenouilles, or frogs. And then there were those poppies I told you about....
Springtime is here!Forgive me for not posting a word or a sound file today--but there will be vocabulary sprinkled throughout this post--like seeds scattered in the back yardpotager!Enjoy this edition, sponsored by:
Exclusive French made clothesnow available to purchase on-line.Thomas Hulston Collections.
La Guetteuse. Our, spot...
