Greetings dear readers and friends! Well, for a Monday, today is shaping up to be a pretty great day. First of all, the sun is shining – which is always a good sign for the end of February – and secondly, we have another book giveaway happening this week.
And let me tell you, I had an ear-to-ear grin when I read the title, Don’t Toss Granny in the Begonias (Don’t overegg the pudding / Don’t over do it). I’ve been wondering when someone would put together a book on French proverbs because, really, they’re so dang funny. And once you learn one, it’s hard to get the imagery out of your head. That’s why it’s nice to see that the book is illustrated to go along with the phrases – you can’t make this stuff up!
For me, the best part about French sayings is that so many of them revolve around food. It fits the French culture just perfectly. One of my favorites from the book is, “Mêle toi de tes oignons” (Look after your own onions) Mind your own business.
Also, you’ll find quite a few animals figure into French proverbs. This might have something to do with France’s strong farming culture, but whatever the reason, it’s quite endearing. One of the sayings that stuck with me is “Revenons a nous moutons” (Let’s return to our sheep) Let’s get back to the nitty gritty.
Lastly, there are French expressions that I’ll never pretend to have any idea of the origin. Like when my boss says that we need to make sure to have our “cuisses propre” (clean thighs!). Which I’ve learned (I didn’t have the nerve to ask) means to do work / a task which is irreproachable. But honestly, all I can ever picture is my boss standing in his swim trucks with sparkling-clean thighs. Thankfully, I found out that this isn’t a very common expression so I can go about my day without imagining everyone in their bathing suits.
Giveaway
If you’d like to enter to win a copy of Don’t Toss Granny in the Begonias, just leave a comment below and tell us what your favorite saying is, in English or French.
(I quite like “Every cloud has a silver lining”)
A winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, February 26th, 2017 (12pm Eastern Standard Time) using random.org.
If you’re interested in purchasing Don’t Toss Granny in the Begonias, please visit the book’s page on Amazon. There’s also a helpful review on Good Reads.
Good luck les amis!
I like the English term “other fish to fry” which translated to the French means “Other cats to whip.” J’ai les autres chats a foueter or similar
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That’s a great one Julia, and one I haven’t heard in French! Thanks for your comment & happy you entered the giveaway.
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Hello Julia !
” J’ai d’autres chats à fouetter ” that means i have others things to do
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My grandmother (in rural Oklahoma) when she saw us picking up something from the floor or touching something she thought was unclean, would warn us children “don’t put your fingers, where you wouldn’t put your face!” This got funnier as we got older.
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Hilarious, I love it! Thanks Jim, you made my evening.
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When I was a little girl Doris Day’s song Que Sera Sera (What Will Be Will Be) was popular on the radio and my mother and I always sang along. I’ve always loved it and they are words to live by.
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That is still one of my favorites.
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Agree! A really great song, one I had forgotten about but now have pleasantly stuck in my head 🙂 Thank you for entering Catherine.
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I’ve always been partial to the tried and true Southern expression: “bless your heart” which can mean so many things based on tone and context.
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Thanks for entering Paula. I haven’t thought of that one in a long time, but so true that you can use it in many contexts – some pretty funny ones at that!
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This looks like such a cool book! My favorite saying in English is “Not my circus, not my monkey/monkeys.”
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Good one Jackie, that’s a crack-up! Going to start using that one more often – many thanks for your entry.
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Growing up in the Midwest we heard the phrase ” don’t count your chickens before they hatch” As a child one of my chores was to collect eggs and I thought it was advice to be passed on to our hens. HeHe
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Ha ha ha Deb, that’s really funny! Can just picture you as a little girl, too cute. Thank you for your entry & comment! Tuula
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I once knew someone who said “Don’t panic, we’re not on the Titanic!”. I still use it a lot today, if I see people stressing about something that they cannot fix themselves. But as an Anglophile (I’m Dutch) I also love the British “Keep calm and carry on”, because it asked the British to be resilient and persevering during WWII.
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That’s a funny one Bianca, have never heard it before! Going into my “phrase book”… Thank you for entering and have a great weekend. Tuula
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My favorite American idiom is…. “He threw you under the bus!” As I’m very unfamiliar with French idioms and proverbs, I definitely need this book.
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Ha ha Kathy, that’s quite a popular idiom around here! I think we both need this book 🙂 looking forward to impressing / shocking the French!
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Je t’adore!
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Thanks for entering Helen!
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A very big congratulations to Catherine de Solla whose comment was chosen at random as the winner. And an equally big Merci to everyone who participated… a new book giveaway is coming soon!
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