Ladling the French back in my head...

[msfledermaus]

Recently I thought it would be a good idea to practice what was left of my French, so I bought a smallish French conversation book. Some of the phrases are very very helpful, and it's amazing how much of the French I learned in school is still in my head somewhere. And there's the occasional words or phrases my professeurs never got around to teaching me...

Things like, "J'ai un probleme. La chambre est plein des cafards, et les prostituees sont trop bruyante!"
(Translation: "I have a problem. The room is full of cockroaches, and the prostitutes are too noisy!)

Then there's inelegant names you can call people, embarrasing body parts, and so on. I'm delighted I can add to my rusty, rust textbook French a small arsenal of cusswords. So far my favorite is simple and straightforward: "Connard". Meaning, jerk. Perfect for every occasion!...

Comments

[scentedwoods.livejournal.com]

I like to mutter the occasional "Merde!" myself.

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

That is a classic, and I cherish it beyond it's merits. The best thing about "Bill and Ted's Adventure" was Napoleon at the bowling alley shrieking "Merde! Merde! Merde!" over and over and over...

[thedarkages]

Shouldn't that be "bruyantes"?

Don't mind me. My French is 20+ years old and quite defunct. I still keep in touch with my former French professors, and they are polite enough not to mention the fact.

There's a book called "Merde!" which is about the same age as my French and goes into great detail on the insults.

Still, slang, by definition, ages quickly. Nowadays, the slang action is in the French version of Pig Latin, "verlan," and in what the North African immigrants have done with the language.

Just think -- pretty much the only French slang anyone had when we were kids was "Sacre bleu!" from the Aristocats, and if you used that in French today, it would be as though you'd said "Gadzooks!"

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're right. My French is indeed rusty!

Heh, I bet the French have gleeful hysterics every time someone who speaks a little French comes along and tries so very, very hard to get it right. Ah well...it makes the world a sillier place.