Mettre les voiles! To take off!

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Last week, forty five magnificent sailing ships from about fifteen different countries, sailed out from Boston harbor after being docked for five days. This race across the North Atlantic event, which is called “Tall Ships challenge” was a big success bringing more than 3 millions visitors.

Among the most impressive vessels, were the Russian masted four mast barque “Kruzenthern” the second-largest tall ship in the world (114.5 m long), the Argentinean fragata “Libertad” three mast (104 m long), and the Romanian three mast barque "Mircea" (82 m long).
Also, the French schooner “le Bel Espoir” (the beautiful hope) from Père Michel Jaouen is taking part in that adventure as well.

The race started from Vigo (Spain) last month and will end in Belfast (Ireland), on August 16th.

Quarante cinq superbes voiliers de quinze pays différents ont quitté le port de Boston la semaine dernière, après être restés à quai pendant 5 jours. Cette course, autour de l’Océan Atlantique Nord qui porte le nom de Tall Ships challenge (la course des grands voiliers), fut un grand succès attirant plus de 3 millions de visiteurs.

Parmi les bateaux les plus impressionnants, on pouvait voir la barque russe «Krusenstrhern» quatre mâts (second plus grand voilier au monde avec 114,50 m de long), la frégate argentine trois mâts «Libertad» ( 104 m de long) et la barque roumaine trois mâts "Mircea" (82 m long).

La goélette du père Jaouen (qui s’occupe de jeunes en difficultés)« le Bel espoir » participe aussi à cette aventure.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

"Mettre les voiles" (lit: to put on the sails!) To leave/ to take off. As we can guess, this metaphor has a nautical terminology and refers to the sailing ship that raises its sails to get underway for a far-away destination. It is derived from the 15th century expression “bander les voiles” which meant, to strengthen the sail with bands of canvas sewed across the saildating. "Marcher (être) à voile et à vapeur " : ( lit: to work/go by sail and by steam"): To be AC/DC (bi-sexual) . Back in the late 19th century, sail and steam co-existed in the shipping industry, "sail was of necessity the rule, and steam the reserve or special power". The origin of this expression is not clear and there are quite a few interpretations explaining the relation between boats and sexuality. One of them is that sailors acquired the reputation of a homosexual practice when they were at sea, because they were without women. Furthermore, according to linguist P.Guiraud in his “dictionnaire érotique” the terms “corvette” and “frégate” have a sexual meaning. We can find in "bougrerie en Nouvelle -France” (Paul Francois Sylvestre) that “une corvette” is a woman who attracts sailors and “une frégate” designates a young homosexual, used in navy slang. "Avoir du vent dans les voiles " : ( lit: to to have some wind in the sails"): To be drunk. Another sailor expression (1835) to describe someone who has had too much to drink. The reference is to a sailing ship out of control in the wind and making it shudder and stagger, quite like a drunk. Not to be confused with the expression : “avoir le vent dans les voiles”(lit: to have the wind in the sails) To succeed, to have the advantage. There is similar older expression (from the 16th century): "avoir le vent en poupe" (To have the wind behind you) , To have the advantage, “être gonflé” (fully inflated/ to have a nerve) in argot. And let me conclude... ... à pleines voiles! (To be under full sail) To be in the flush or height of prosperity... Et maintenant je mets les voiles.... And now, I take off! Hasta la vista!

Éclairez ma lanterne! Enlighten me!

Lower Mystic Lake is located a few miles North West of Boston. It is connected upstream to upper Mystic Lake and downstream to Mystic River which empties into the Boston harbor.

The most distinctive feature of this lake is that it is a Meromictic lake, which is a rare type of lake (one counts around 200 in the world).
Unlike a Holomictic lake (the most common type) a Meromictic lake is a deep body of water lacking complete circulation of its upper and deeper layers of water. Due to this absence of mixing waters, the deeper layer receives little oxygen (less than 1 mg/l) from the atmosphere and sediments at the bottom remain undisturbed. Thus, such lakes preserve records of the geologic past of the lake exceptionally well.

Studies were performed by experts who found occasional layers of coarse sediment that had washed into the lake during flooding events and concluded that hurricanes have struck the Boston area. This record extends back to 1011 A.D. In terms of hurricanes activity the number was higher between the 12th and the 16th century.

Lower Mystic Lake est situé à quelques kilomètres au Nord Ouest de Boston. Il est connecté en amont au Upper Mystic lake et en aval à la rivière Mystique qui se jette dans le port de Boston.

La particularité de ce lac vient du fait que c'est un lac méromictique: un type de lac assez rare dans le monde (on en dénombre environ 200 ).
A la différence d’un lac holomictique (le type le plus commun), un lac méromictique est un lac très profond qui se caractérise par l’absence de circulation complète entre les eaux de surface et les eaux profondes. Du fait de cette absence de mélange des eaux, les couches profondes reçoivent très peu d’oxygène (moins de 1 mg/l) de l’atmosphère et les sédiments au fond restent stables. En conséquence, de tels lacs renferment des informations géologiques remarquables sur l’histoire du lac.

Des recherches ont été menées par des experts qui ont trouvé d'épaisses couches de sédiments déposés au fond du lac pendant des périodes d'inondations et en ont conclu que des ouragans avaient frappé la région de Boston. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de remonter jusqu'à l'an 1011 après Jésus-Christ. En termes d'activité cyclonique, le nombre d'ouragans était plus important entre les 12ème et 16ème siècles .

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French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

1. “ Eclairer la lanterne de quelqu'un " (lit: to light somebody's lantern!): To enlighten somebody This expression is an allusion to Florian's Fable: "The Monkey showing the Magic Lantern"(1792) (French version here) which tells the story of a man who owns an outwit monkey called Jacqueau, and a magic lantern (a lantern projection). One day, the man leaves home to go to the cabaret. To impress all the animals of the village, the monkey decides to perform a show in front of them to explain how the world was created using the lantern as the sun. However one important detail was missing! He forgot to light up the magic lantern and as a result, the audience did not understand anything. After this fable was published the expression "oublier d'éclairer sa lanterne " (to forget to light one's lantern) was created and meant "missing the main point". 2. "Prendre des vessies pour des lanternes " : (lit: to take bladders for lanterns.) To think the moon is made of green cheese! Dating back to the late Middle-Ages, this expression is a play on word. It derives from the old form "vendre des vessies pour des lanternes" (to sell bladders for lanterns), where the words "lanternes" (lanterns) and "vessies" (bladders) had similar figurative sense. In old French, the word "lanternes", in the plural form, referred to “des balivernes” (twaddles) and the word "vessies" meant “des bagatelles” (trifles), or something empty, hollow, like the bladder. Eventually, the "lanternier" (the lantern merchant) was “un diseur de balivernes et de bagatelles” (a teller of trifles and twaddles"). However, in Medieval times, pigs or beef bladders (vessies de porc ou de boeuf) were commonly used as a recipient ( a goatskin flask), a ball or a lantern. The bladders were hung from the ceiling to dry, and then inflated before being used. A candle was placed inside beforehand. Et voilà! That does the trick!"! A bientôt!

Flies the colours! Annoncer la couleur!

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Autumn, in New England, is an enchanting season offering not only sunny days with temperatures in the 70s degrees but also a gorgeous festival of colors.
This spectacular show, travelling from North to South has just reached its peak, here in Massachusetts, displaying a vibrant and flaming palette of yellow, gold, orange and reds.

L'automne en Nouvelle Angleterre est une saison délicieuse qui offre non seulement des journées ensoleillées, avec des températures dans les 20 degrés mais aussi un festival somptueux de couleurs.
Ce show spectaculaire qui se déplace du nord au sud vient juste d'atteindre son apogée ici dans le Massachusetts, déployant une palette de couleurs vibrantes et flamboyantes de jaunes, d'or, d'orange et de rouges.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

Color idioms are widely used in language, giving the most pictorial and vivid image of the situation: White, black, blue, brown, green, red, yellow, pink, grey, golden are the main colors. Here are a few expressions using them: "En voir de toutes les couleurs " (lit: to see all colors!). To go through a hard time! "Annoncer la couleur" (lit: to tell the colours) To lay one's card on the table. This French expression dating from the 1930's comes from the card games, when the player must declare his intention to lay a color as a trump. "Rire jaune" : ( lit: to laugh yellow"): To give a hollow laugh. The yellow color carries a strong symbolic meaning which has to be traced back to the Middle-Ages. In medieval times, colors were present everywhere, however, people had a strong revulsion for plain yellow. In the Christian iconography yellow was associated with cowardliness (Judas was often depicted wearing yellow clothes), adultery (yellow the color of cuckolds). Yellow was the color of heretics and forgers. It also evoked illness (icterus disease). In the 17th century, the expression "rire jaune" designated a deceitful, betrayal laugh. Want some more? Broyer du noir: (lit: To crush black)= To be depressed - Voir la vie en rose: (lit: to see life in pink)= t0 see the beauty in life. Envoyer quelqu'un sur les roses: (lit: to send s.o on roses)= To tell s.owhere to get off. passer une nuit blanche: (lit: to spend a white night)= to spend a sleepless night. avoir une peur bleue: (lit: to have a bleue fear)= to have a bad scare. être fleur bleue: (lit: to be a blue flower)= to be naïvely sentimental. se mettre au vert: (lit: to put oneself at green)= To rest in the countryside. voir rouge: to see red. être marron: (lit : to be brown): to be fooled. être gris: (lit: to be grey): to be tipsy. etc... Which one did you prefer? Bonne semaine à tous!

Having style! Avoir du chien!

As I was strolling around Boston, I came across this English bulldog recovering from an intense exercise (picture below...).
At first, his funny appearance with his wrinkled grouchy face and his massive disproportionate body caught the attention.
Then, his overly placid behavior with a tenacious stubbornness personality is hilarious.
Don't you think he has a great charm?


Alors que je me promenais dans Boston, je suis tombée sur ce bulldog anglais qui se remettait d'un exercice éreintant (voir la photo ci-dessus).
Son apparence physique amusante avec une tête toute plissée au regard ronchon, et un corps massif et disproportionné saute d’abord aux yeux.
Ensuite, c’est son comportement excessivement placide et sa personnalité tenace et obstinée qui est à mourir de rire.
Ne trouvez-vous pas qu'il a un charme fou?

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

The French language is rich in figurative expressions referring to animals. Due to the fact that the dog is associated to many different symbols and popular beliefs, there is a great deal of French idioms and proverbs related to "chien”. Most of them have a negative connotation and refer to a disdain, disparagement and are used almost as an insult: Nom d'un chien! (Name of a Dog!): For good sake Faire le chien couchant (to act like a crawling dog): to praise. Un temps de chien ! (a dog weather !) An awful weather Etre traité comme un chien: To be treated like a dog. Avoir un air de chien battu: (to have the look of a beaten dog): To have a hang-dog look Ce n'est pas fait pour les chiens: (it’s not made for dogs !) It's there to be used. Une chienne de vie ! A life’s dog. Etre d’une humeur de chien (to have a mood dog): To be in a foul mood Etre malade comme un chien ! (sick as a dog): To be really sick. Se regarder en chiens de faïence. (to look at each other like porcelain dogs): To glare at each other. Mourir comme un chien: (to die like a dog !): To die forsaken like a dog. Merci qui? Merci mon chien! (thank you my dog!). Thanks to whom? However a few expressions have somewhat a positive connotation. The one I am using here in my title is one of them: “Avoir du chien” (lit: to have dog). To have style, to be attractive. This expression dates from 1866 and back then, it was used for a woman to talk about her physical appeal in a sense of saucy.

It's all Greek to me! C'est du chinois pour moi :-)

Recognizable by its traditional temple roofs covered with tiles, the pagoda gate, surrounded by two lions, marks the entrance to the Chinatown District.

A welcome message is inscribed in gold Chinese characters in the middle of the gate, also called páilóu (牌樓) in Chinese.

The large pavement, designed by artist May Sun, displays a geometric pattern consisting of a square within a circle, which is an old symbol for Heaven and Earth in chinese philisophy. Also, in the middle (in grey and blue) you can see a long strip that depicts the Chinatown dictrict and the surrounding area up to the Boston waterfront.

Reconnaissable par ses toits traditionnels recouverts de tuiles, la porte en forme de pagode entourée de deux lions marque l'entrée du quartier chinois.

Un message de bienvenue, en caractères chinois dorés, est inscrit au milieu de la porte appelée páilóu (牌樓) en chinois.

Le dallage au sol, réalisé par l'artiste May Sun, révèle un motif géométrique constitué d’un carré à l'intérieur d’un cercle; symbole du paradis et de la terre, dans la philosophie chinoise. Vous pouvez distinguer aussi au milieu une longue bande (en gris et en bleu) représentant le quartier de Chinatown et les environs jusqu’au port de Boston.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

1. “ C'est du chinois pour moi! " (lit: it's all chinese to me!). It's all Greek to me! This metaphor refers to complicated, unintelligible topics to understand. The other figurative expression "C'est de l'hébreu pour moi " (it's Hebrew to me) is occasionally heard . Not only French use this "chinese target" to mean something incomprehensible. For instance, - in Greek : Eínai kínezika jia ména; (It's Chinese to me") - in Russian: Это для меня китайская грамота. (It's Chinese writing!) - in Hungarian: Ez nekem kínai. (This is Chinese to me.) - in Dutch: Dat is Chinees voor mij . (This is Chinese to me.) German, Serbian, Czech refer to the Spanish language while Turkkish people refer to the French langage as an unintelligible, unfamiliar language! Originaly, the word"chinois" served to designate something mysterious, far-away and unknown. In addition, the structure of the language with its different dialects and its 13000 characters in the traditional form, reinforced that idea and thus, created the cliché "c'est du chinois" associated to complexity. In the same idea, the verb"chinoiser" (lit: to chinese), means to quibble, to split-hairs. When it was introduced in 1896 "chinoiser" meant "parler argot". And the word "argot" was related to "jargon". And this leads us to another expression: 2. "un casse-tête chinois" : a brain teaser. Since "un casse-tête" is a dilemna or a puzzle to solve, adding the adjective "chinois" looks like a pleonasm. In fact, it emphasizes the concept of difficulty. But, that's not it! To make it even stronger, French people also say "c'est un vrai un casse-tête chinois" (it's a real brain teaser). In other words: it's a pain in the neck! :-) Bonne journée!

"A windmill or a chatterbox?" "Un moulin à vent ou un moulin à paroles?" That is the question! ;-)

Well, no, I didn't take this picture in Holland, but in Arlington, only 6 miles west of Boston.
This charming "windmill house"sits on a hill called Morningside. It was built in the 1930's.
I guess, the first question that crosses your mind is: Are its sails operating? What do you think?

There is a French old lullaby related to this theme. If you want to hear it, click here. And for the translation, visit our friend Bergson from Chateaubriant Daily photo.

Eh bien non, je n’ai pas pris cette photo en Hollande, mais à Arlington à 9km seulement à l’ouest de Boston.
Ce charmant moulin à vent se trouve sur une colline portant le nom de Morningside. Il fut construit dans les années trente.
J'imagine que la première question qui vous vient à l’esprit est la suivante : Ses ailes tournent-elles ? Qu’en pensez-vous ?

Il existe une vieille berceuse sur ce thème. Si vous voulez l’entendre, cliquez ici. Et pour la traduction, allez sur le blog de notre ami Bergson de Chateaubriant Daily Photo.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

1. "On ne peut (pas) être au four et au moulin" : One cannot be in two places, at once. (lit: one cannot be at the oven and at the mill at the same time): Un peu d'histoire! A little bit of history!: This expression has its roots in medieval times. Windmills appeared in France in the 12th century. Under the feudal system, mills and ovens were the property of the lord who had a monopoly status. As a result, to be able to use these public facilities, peasants (serfs) had to pay dues (called "banalités") in the form of a product corresponding to a portion of the flour left to the miller, and to the lord as well. To make their flour, they would bring their grain to the mill (usually located on the river or stream) and wait in line. The bread was then made at home to be finally baked in the common oven (le four banal) situated in the center of the village. Thus it was impossible to be at the two places at the same time. These facilities were also a place to chat... which brings us to our second expression: 2. “un moulin à paroles" : a chatterbox . (lit: a wordmill )” Enjoy! :-)