A couple of weeks ago, I took and then posted some photos of the biggest jade plant in our collection (I keep propagating new plants from cuttings) because I noticed it was starting to flower. I don't think I've ever seen a jade plant flower before. Here's a very short slideshow of images of its blossoms now.
Meanwhile, much of France is paralyzed right now by strikes involving transit workers and teachers. We are not really affected, since we don't commute or travel much. Most of the demonstrations and protests are taking place in the cities. It's all about government plans to reform the national retirement system.
The weather is freezing cold over much of the country, but that's supposed to change over the weekend. A big perturbation (warm front) will be moving in off the Atlantic Ocean and sweeping across the country, bringing rain and raising temperatures back into the upper 40s and low 50s in ºF. Laissez les bons temps rouler !
Lovely flowers! Do they have any smell?
ReplyDeleteLaisser les bons temps rouler is a word for word Cajun translation from American English. I had never heard this expression until I came to the US. It's not immediately clear what it means in French French. On the other hand, our Canadian cousins must be commended for fighting bec et ongles the encrochment of the English language in Québec. They created some beautiful new words in French!a
I think French people understand the expression after they think of it for a moment. Young people, especially...
DeleteIn my opinion, it is rouler that is not clear. People would say, for the same meaning, Prenez du bon temps.
ReplyDeleteEven very old people like me understand the meaning after they think of it for a moment... LOL
Young French people would now say, éclatons-nous!. Explosion de joie!?
DeleteLOL yes. I think in French French it would be Que la fête continue !. "Keep on keeping on."
DeleteIn America, if somebody said "I need to go to the loo," even Americans would understand, though they would never say that that way themselves. Context...
You are such a purist when it comes to language. I understood that long ago, but I figured it was a déformation professionelle. Now I know better. It's just you. Being somebody (me, I mean) who speaks a "regional" variety of my native language (as if the British don't also speak a regional variety; several, in fact)... I guess I'm more forgiving. Parisian French is also a "regional" variety of French. I've been accused of having learned English as a foreign language by British people who should know better — we all have the same ancestors. Louisianans and Québecois speak French too. They are you, if you see what I mean, twice removed.
Agreed.
DeleteUnlike English or Spanish, French is somewhat monolithic. French spoken in Paris, Dakar, Québec or Beyrouth is supposedly the same, but the accents might be different. Is it a good thing or not? Time will tell. Evolution may come sooner than later.
DeleteI should have added that Montréal is the second most populous French-speaking city in the world!
DeleteYep déguelasse (degue,etc.), bibitte, terrasse, depanneur, stationner, cabin a sucre are all Quebecois things I don't think are used in France. And Parisian accents are the easiest for this poor American to understand. The French film "L'inconnu du lac" had some tough accents, while "Moliere" was a piece of cake, besides being a delightful movie.
ReplyDeleteYour jade is bustin' out all over!
Hi David. At first sight, except for cabanne à sucre, all these words can be heard in France. This being said, it all depends on having the same meaning, which might not be the case.
DeleteA friend who's lived there just pointed out to me that France spends 14% on pensions while most other industrialized nations (probably excluding US, which doesn't have a pension system) spend 8%. Thus, some kind of "reform" is likely necessary lest the system consume itself sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteI am smiling at the list of French-Canadian words from Diogenes: You left out "poutine". :-)