Sang-froid

I have made it a goal this year to read one new book a month. In Paris, it is a little expensive to become a part of a library program. So, I started using the app, OverDrive, to be able to connect with my U.S. library digitally. I’ve already started my book for February thanks to it! I am reading Paris to the Moon, by Adam Gopnik. A friend told me about this novel forever ago and I happy to finally get around to reading it. The story is based around Gopnik’s experiences while living in Paris in the early 1980s. This was a time when Chirac was president and there was a few unfortunately things hitting the city. The first chapter discussed how it felt to be in the city during the metro bombing sprit of the early 80’s. He described the Parisians reactions as sangfroid. Being in Paris during the November 2015 terrorist attacks, I could see the French people band together in the same powerful way. The public is solid and nothing can puncture that sense of valor.

 Sang-froid (masculine word) – courage or strength under pressure

maîtrise de soi, présence d’esprit dans les moments critiques
Ex: Garder son sang-froid.

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il y a anguille sous roche…

I have spent the majority of my week taking care of a new little kitten! Her name is Micha and she is very mischievous. Every time I entered into the apartment, I kept thinking “il y a anguille sous roche”… She would be sitting sweetly gazing up at me. It wan’t until I looked away from that cute face that I would find something flipped upside down and out of place. The little trouble maker!

il y a anguille sous roche – there is something fishy!

quelque chose n’est pas normal.

EX: Les policiers soupçonnaient qu’il y avait anguille sous roche.

Amalgame

I was mostly stuck inside on this damp Saturday.  I looked over and my favorite frenchie just happened to be reading the dictionary -yeah he does do that from time to time. So, I asked what his favorite french word was. The first thing that popped into his head was Amalgame. I’m not surprised that he selected such an obscure word for he reads dictionaries for fun -yeahh he is a keeper. We are our own little “amalgame”. I am going to try to implement this one into my daily vocabulary!

Amalgame (Masculine word) – Amalgam!

un melange de deux objets où idées. EX: Une chanson est un amalglame de notes musicales.

Parapluie

So it is raining today in Paris. To wake up to the sound of rain drops pitter patting on my sky lights is lovely, at first. Then it hits that once I leave the apartment that rain won’t be so nice.  Luckily, it is Friday and I am excited to jump through puddles this weekend! The one thing I must not forget, “mon parapluie”.

Parapluie  (masculine word) – umbrella !
Un parapluie est un dispositif, portable et pliable, permettant de se protéger de la pluie et servant aussi à se protéger du soleil.  EX: N’oblie pas ton parapluie!