fendre
Monday, October 13, 2008
Today's unrelated Photo du Jour: a fire hydrant in the hilltop town of Seguret.
A fun (and easy!) word game for you today & an invitation for UK
readers, here.
fendre (fon-dr) verb
: to split; to slit, to slash
: to cleave
[from the Latin, "findere"]
fendre la foule = to push one's way through the crowd
se fendre = to crack
fendre l'air = "to cut through the air" (to quickly advance)
se fendre la pêche / se fendre la gueule = to laugh openly, noisily
The word of the day ("fendre") was selected at random -- after playing today's word game... read on, in the following column...).
fendre (fon-dr) verb
: to split; to slit, to slash
: to cleave
[from the Latin, "findere"]
fendre la foule = to push one's way through the crowd
se fendre = to crack
fendre l'air = "to cut through the air" (to quickly advance)
se fendre la pêche / se fendre la gueule = to laugh openly, noisily
The word of the day ("fendre") was selected at random -- after playing today's word game... read on, in the following column...).
My mom leaves in just a few days and I'd like to spend as much time with "Jules" as possible. Therefore, I'm leaving all the work to you today, via a fun (and improvised...) word game:
Here are the instructions (dictionary* not required... but helpful):
1. Randomly open a French-English dictionary.
2. Cover your eyes.
3. Let your finger drop to the page.
4. Uncover your eyes, discover the French word beneath your very fingertip...
5. Type the word into the comments box.
6. Don't forget to add a definition and any related terms, idioms, or expressions!
*Psst: Don't have a dictionary handy? Pas de problème! Answer this question: Tell us the first French word that comes to mind. List it, along with a definition, in the comments box. If you don't know the definition, just make one up!
Note: Please *do not* send words via email, but use the comments box.
~~~~New, in Books~~~~~~~~~~
Champlain's Dream: In this sweeping, enthralling biography, acclaimed historian David Hackett Fischer brings to life the remarkable Samuel de Champlain -- soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist, and Father of New France.
... (Not So New): in Books
Bel Ria: the spellbinding tale of a small dog caught up in the Second World War, and of the extraordinary life-transforming attachments he forms with the people he encounters in the course of a perilous passage from occupied France to besieged England.
Tune Up Your French: Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Spoken French
igourmet's Favorites - 8 Cheese Sampler
Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves
A Message from Kristi: For twenty years now, support from readers like you has been an encouragement and a means to carve out a career in writing. If my work has touched you in any way, please consider a donation. Your gift keeps me going! Thank you very much.
Ways to contribute:
1. Send a check (to this new address)
2. Paypal or credit card
3. A bank transfer via Zelle, a great way to send your donation as there are no transaction fees.
Or purchase my book for a friend, and so help spread the French word.
For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety