ENGLISH CONVERSATION

Sept 4th. Francine and Michel

1) Let's go for a walk in Hyde Park

Hyde Park

By the lake

Look at ...

The boat, a dog beige or tan with a short tail, and another black tied to the bench (tenu en laisse)

A horse brown  and a second hidden (caché) . Horse back rider, (cavalier)

A girl with a green skirt (jupe)

Some deckchairs (chaise longue), a trash bin (poubelle), bags, not backpack (sac à dos)

A policeman (or bobby) with a helmet (casque)

A few persons in sunbathing (bain de soleil), a man speaking close to a tree

A girl riding a bicycle, red-haired (rousse)

Generally rather young persons but two women on a bench wearing old fashioned hats

(dans l'ensemble gens plutôt jeunes mais 2 dames sur un banc portant des chapeaux démodés)

2) Idioms

Danielle is full of beans, but she isn’t nuts.(pleine d'énergie, pas folle)

Maurice is always pulling someone’s leg.(blagueur)

Marcelle says she is all thumbs when she covers books (maladroite pour recouvrir livres)

But Francine can do it with her arms tied behind her back. (fort adroite, les doigts ds le nez! )

Michel says, “My foot!” He has other fish to fry now that he is the mayor. (d'autres chats à fouetter)

I won’t beat around the bush. (tourner autour du pot) I can smell a rat (il y a du louche)

X is as nutty as a fruitcake (fou, givré comme pas deux)

He/she has bats in the belfry (il/elle est folle.... des araignées au plafond)

their new house costs an arm and a leg ( leur nouvelle maison coute très cher) ; they’re paying through the nose (endetté jusqu'au cou)

to take French leave (filer à l'anglaise)

to have a frog in one’s throat (avoir un chat ds la gorge)

to kick the bucket (mort)

to push up daisies (id)

3) des mots issus ... ou le paraissant !

- de l'anglais : 

camping   camp ground

jogging     track suit

parking     car park, parking lot

- du français :

souvent culinaire ....when cooked

prune     prune (plum) 

veal       veau  (calf)
mutton   mouton (sheep)

TEA TIME

Thank you Francine for that delicious far breton served with a local cider

You enjoyed your Brittany hiking on the GR 34! 

 

See you later ...