Monday, March 19, 2007

Hello.....Remember me?


I seem to have mislaid the computer for over a month, sorry about that!

We've been having gorgeous weather recently, and then today, after the sun and the rain and the little rainbow, I swear I saw snowflakes. This is not normal weather behavior. I mean, how is one supposed to dress for all weather eventualities in one day? I find that removing and putting back on loads of layers gives me really bad hair static, which is never really a good look, and apparently slightly frightening to young children, according to my 4 year old little lady and her dance class friends. Just one of many future die of embarassment moments I'm sure she'll have to endure, grâce à moi!

Things are quite busy round the dukedom at the moment. Along with house renovations, veggie garden preparations and work, we are getting ready for our earlier than usual onslaught of enemy, I mean family, invaders. Both of our fathers will be visiting, which is great for the little ladies to see their grandads, but their visits always tend to highlight the fact that grandmothers are much more helpful visitors. Maybe some of you with mother in laws would like to set me straight on this, but what I wouldn't do sometimes for an older woman in the house who senses I may need some help and offers to make the coffee instead of just asking for some!

I learned a new French word today: Foutu(e), which is an adjective and comes from the verb foutre. I think I may use this word alot. Here are some of the ways in which these useful words can be applied-
Tout n'est pas foutu. It's not a complete cock-up (screw-up).
Qu'est-ce qu'il fout? What the hell is he doing?
Aller se faire foutre. To go to Hell.
Je me foutrais des claques! Sometimes I could kick myself!
Je m'en fous! I don't give a damn (shit)!
Ca fait un an de foutu. That's a whole year wasted.
Je ne sais foutre rien! I know fuck all about it!
Funny that my entire 4 year degree in French Literature never once introduced me to this essential verb and its derivitives. Surely Balzac and Zola must have had occasion to use it. Yet another example of how completely useless my degree has proven to be........

7 comments:

Riana Lagarde said...

That photo is hilarious!!! And you forgot my favorite, that we used all the time around here "Rien à foutre" which literally means nothing to fuck, but in slang "Didnt give a flying fuck" like when you call EDG and ask them to do something or France Telecom, etc. LOL

Riana from These Days in French Life

The Duchess said...

Thanks for that one, Riana, that'll will probably come in quite handy as I'm just in the process of renewing my CDS and I can imagine I may come across a chance to use it!lol

Riana Lagarde said...

OOPs, I meant EDF...for your Paris trip, that is a fabulous area to pass four hours, its the latin quarter.

You can go to La Duree and get macarons on 21 ave de Bonaparte
http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/maisons/bonaparte_accueil.htm

then cruise up to see St Sulpice, from the Da Vinci code, beautiful church and check out all the spendy boutiques in that area.

The natural history museum is close by that metro stop as well.

Hope that you and your dad have a great time!

The Duchess said...

Thanks for reminding me about St Sulpice, I've seen some fabulous concerts there in the past, and it might be just the thing after an indulgent lunch with some wine (hey, I'll be childless and free for 4 whole hours!), to go and see it again.

Betty Carlson said...

And don't forget "Je n'en ai rien à foutre3 ("I could give a damn" would be a polite translation...)

The Duchess said...

Thanks for that one, Betty, one can never have too many uses for a verb phrase! And since these are phrases I tend to use alot in my first language (not around the little ladies, of course...), I feel I'm becoming more myself with my French knowledge everyday!:lol

Papadesdeux said...

Girls, please! There are children in the house. And I have a hard enough time trying improve my PROPER French without being forced to learn profanity. OK, so you didn't force me, but when I see it, I can't turn away.