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Post by GitteK on May 31, 2008 9:04:09 GMT -5
Here are 3 new, I recently found in my Madame Figaro: 1) I don't know the English equivalent of this, but I'm sure we all get a fairly clear image of what a dress looks like when it's called: "une robe tralala" 2) In an article about the horrible murder of a young Swedish girl in the woods near Chantilly , she was characterized as a girl who had loved to party, but who was also a very sensible, independent girl, namely: "elle avait la tête sur les épaules"(in DK we'd say that she was a girl with "bones in her nose" !) 3) In an article about "ready-to-eat-raw-George-Clooney" , the magazine raved about his numerous virtues and mentioned that he is quite wealthy on top of everything. But then to modify this politically uncorrect, materialistic approach, the reporter hurried to say that although money is not all........ "un peu de beurre dans les épinards n'a jamais fait du mal" ! (a bit of butter in the spinach never did any harm)And how right they are ! ;D
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Post by Anne on May 31, 2008 10:11:23 GMT -5
In the same vein as your #2, you will say "c'est une femme de tête" (she's a woman of head) for a strong-minded woman, a leader-type one . It is never used for men ( ) or even for young girls .
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Post by Anne on Jun 6, 2008 3:28:13 GMT -5
"Donner de la confiture aux cochons" (to feed the pigs with jam) = to provide someone very un-refined with something very refined that he is unable to appreciate (can be food, wine, but also anything cultural)
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Post by Jody on Jun 6, 2008 6:36:53 GMT -5
Americans say cast pearls before swine which is similar to your phrases
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Post by Anne on Jun 15, 2008 3:08:15 GMT -5
"ça sent le sapin" = "it smells of fir tree" = coffin is getting real close . This is mostly used figuratively (or else it would be rather bad taste : , to mean that a project or such is likely to fail . It is widely used in newspapers these days when mentionning the likely near future of the French and Italian national soccer teams in the currently-going European Championship ;D ...
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