Expressions in French

Have you realized that there are hundreds of expressions in our own language that we use without thinking. They reside in our cultural memory bank and slide effortlessly out to the tip of our tongue (au bout de la langue!) with no conscious thought on our part. But when speaking a language other than your native tongue, I’ve realized the importance of these “cultural word tools” – and that you can’t be without them. Because you need them to understand the sense of what someone is telling you, to catch the point of a joke, or to make a play on words. Here are a few of my favorites just for fun. In English “When pigs fly”, translates into the French expression “When hens have teeth” (quand les poules auront des dents). I licked my fingers” translates to “I licked all five fingers and my thumb” (j’ai leche les cinq doigts et le pouce) “That gets on my nerves” becomes “That breaks my feet” (cela me casse les pieds). À bon chat, bon rat which is a proverb in French but in English the translation it Tit for Tat À force d'explications ça finira par entrer. IN English-Explain it for long enough and it will sink in(my host Father says this to me when I forget how to conjugate in the past tense....not amused) À mauvais ouvrier point de bons outils. In English a bad workman blames his tools. This embodies the French idea of "the consumer or the customer is ALWAYS wrong" In France customer service is literally nonexistent and if you want to complain about one of the waiters at your local cafe you can pretty much forget it because the manager will probably just shrug their shoulders and say "What do you want me to do about it?" Well, I’ve made a gigantic cultural leap in speaking French! Oh yes, most of it is mastering the grammar and syntax. But understanding hundred of cultural references – from cartoon characters (recognize Asterix and Obelix above - iconic French cartoon figure) to political incidents to literature – and everyday expressions -is essential. Why? It’s helped me to establish relationships with people. It lets me go beyond surface interactions and find some deeper ways to communicate, because I find that people are more likely to open up when they see that you know their culture, which includes their traditions and sayings. Bisous Em