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Useful French Phrases

Useful French Phrases

Old Aug 5th 2011, 3:57 pm
  #136  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by cyrian
Think that it might only work if you have a separate numeric keypad.
I always buy computers with a numeric keypad for this reason.
If I use the numbers at the top of the keyboard, it doesn't work.
In Word you can use a character set (Insert a character) to access accented letters but it is a bit slow and cumbersome.
Alternatively you can buy a french external keyboard and plug it in when you want to write something in french. My daughter did that when she was studying in France.

Hope that helps
Have numeric pad on laptop, but it won't work in Word (2000); yes use the insert character button. Hey ho have to live with it. Won't hog this important thread with my nonsense.
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Old Aug 24th 2011, 10:51 am
  #137  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

This is a useful one:
Ne cherchez pas midi à deux heures /or/

Ne cherchez pas midi à quatorze heures

meaning

don't complicate matters
don't make things more difficult

Blackie
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Old Dec 4th 2011, 1:55 pm
  #138  
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Exclamation Re: Useful French Phrases

Here's one that's useful for the current Euro crisis:

Ils ne sont pas encore sorti de l'auberge

meaning

It's not over yet

or

They're not out of the woods yet

In this slightly aged expression 'l'auberge' used to mean prison so it could also be expressed as

They're not out of jail yet.

Blackie
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Old Dec 5th 2011, 6:52 pm
  #139  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Je ne conduis jamais bourré. Enfin pas à ma connaissance en tout cas!
- Coluche

I never drink (when I'm) drunk. At least, not to my knowledge anyway (in any case).
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Old Jan 26th 2012, 9:52 am
  #140  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

dire tu quoi? what did you say
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Old Jan 26th 2012, 4:39 pm
  #141  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by indik
dire tu quoi? what did you say
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Old Jan 27th 2012, 9:30 am
  #142  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Nice local one:

l'esprit des clochers = local patriotism, parochial behaviour
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Old Feb 8th 2012, 11:07 am
  #143  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Another neat one (we haven't got anything as good as this)

'attacher lundi à mardi'


meaning

to button up a shirt (or jacket, whatever) wrong!

Blackie
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Old Feb 8th 2012, 12:49 pm
  #144  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Blackladder
Another neat one (we haven't got anything as good as this)

'attacher lundi à mardi'


meaning

to button up a shirt (or jacket, whatever) wrong! Blackie
Never ever heard that one before Blackie, either here in SW, or during my years in Paris area. Neither has Mme.
Suggest this may be a regional expression - but from where exactly I have no idea. Any takers.....?
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Old Feb 8th 2012, 1:03 pm
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Voler c'est quand on a trouvé un object avant qu'il soit perdu.
-
-
-
-
-

Stealing is finding an object before it's been lost.......
(Ok I admit, not really a useful phrase, but one which my zany nature appreciates).

Last edited by Tweedpipe; Feb 8th 2012 at 1:08 pm.
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Old Feb 13th 2012, 9:14 pm
  #146  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Tweedpipe
Never ever heard that one before Blackie, either here in SW, or during my years in Paris area. Neither has Mme.
Suggest this may be a regional expression - but from where exactly I have no idea. Any takers.....?
Oh yes, very common where I'm from (Lyon/Ain/Jura). My mother would say that to me on a regular basis when I was little and first attempting to get dressed all by myself ('Tu as boutonné le lundi avec le mardi!')

Talking of Lyon and regional expressions:

'Il ne trouverait pas de l'eau dans le Rhône' = 'he wouldn't be able to find water in the Rhône river'. Meaning someone is really quite amazingly stupid. Or, could be said when looking for something and eventually finding it was right under one's nose all along...
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Old Feb 13th 2012, 10:31 pm
  #147  
 
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by nerdherd
Talking of Lyon and regional expressions:

'Il ne trouverait pas de l'eau dans le Rhône' = 'he wouldn't be able to find water in the Rhône river'. Meaning someone is really quite amazingly stupid. Or, could be said when looking for something and eventually finding it was right under one's nose all along...
The old couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery phrase, For teetotalers.
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Old Feb 14th 2012, 9:27 am
  #148  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Originally Posted by Ka Ora!
The old couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery phrase, For teetotalers.
Exactly!
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Old Feb 15th 2012, 12:15 pm
  #149  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

The Back of Beyond:

'Tripatouille-les-Oies'

I wonder if there are any Spanish speakers here who could verify these absolute blinders from the Hispanic world:

from Spain itself for the Back of Beyond:

'Donde a Cristo se le cayó el merchero'

translated as

'where Christ dropped his lighter'

and from Cuba:

'Donde Dios pintó a Perico y no alcanzó bicicleta'

meaning

'Where God painted St Peter and didn't get round to the bicycle'

(if ever I buy a house in a spanish speaking country, that would have to be its name)
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Old Feb 22nd 2012, 2:03 pm
  #150  
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Default Re: Useful French Phrases

Never heard of this one before:

'refais-le-me-le' = 'you don't say' or 'say that again' (or similar)

How about

'Prendre le train 11' = walk

Blackie

seemingly no Spanish takers for those earlier ones, shame
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