"ça lui fait une belle jambe!" - "That makes him a nice leg !" ;-)

Do you want to dance with me?
This invitation took place, last Saturday, under sunny skies, for the traditional Arlington Town Day, located in the suburbs of Boston.
Like the previous years, the atmosphere was very lively and brought many smiles, and lots of fun.

Voulez-vous danser avec moi?
Cette invitation a eu lieu samedi dernier, sous un soleil radieux à l'occasion de la traditionnelle fête de la ville d'Arlington, située dans la banlieue de Boston.
Comme les années précédentes, l’atmosphère animée a apporté beaucoup de sourires et de joie.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

Expressions around the word "jambe" (leg):

"Ca me/lui fait une belle jambe!" (Lit : That makes me/him-her a nice leg ! ) It won't get me/ him- her very far! As you may guess, this expression is related to fashion and beauty but, believe it or not, it’s all about men, not women. The origin goes back to the 17th century when men used to wear long silk socks (chausses). At that time, men legs were a great deal of attention (no offense ladies!) and ribbons were added to embellish and emphasize the legs. The expression “Cela ne me rendra pas la jambe mieux faite" (lit: it won’t bring me my leg better shaped ) is found in the “dictionnaire académique Furetière” (1694) and was used in a sarcastic sense, reffering to something useless is done to you . Another version is given by Diderot in one of his quotes: ‘"un homme qui marche et qui fait la belle jambe est faux et manieré" (“ a man walking while showing a beautiful leg is fake and affected”) gave the expression "faire la belle jambe" meaning: “to show off”/ to “prance”. The modern idom“ça lui fait une belle jambe :”(lit: it makes him/her a beautiful leg) is a combination of the two versions and means today: it's of no interest to me! ............................ "Faire des ronds de jambe " (lit: to make circle of legs!). To bow and scrape! This expression is a reference to a ballet dance figure « half-circles made by the pointed foot, returning through first position to repeat; creating the letter 'D' on the floor”. ............................... "Traiter par dessus la jambe" (Lit: to treat over the leg) To treat someone/something without regards. Borrowed from the old French game « jeu de paume » (tennis), this expression is derivaded from the metaphor "jouer quelqu'un sous jambe"("to play someone under leg") that was used when a player get the upper hand. ............................... "Avoir les jambes en coton" : ( Lit: to have legs of cotton"): To feel weak at the knees . The expression appeared for the first time in 1839 in the famous Stendhal novel: "La chartreuse de Parme"(sources: L'internaute). Cotton is also used in other French idioms. .................................. "Trainer la jambe" (Lit: to drag the leg) To trudge along. .............................. "Tenir la jambe à quelqu'un" (Lit to hold someone’s leg) To annoy someone with endless blabla... :-( .............................. I hope this is not the case here! Otherwise everyone might: "Prendre ses jambes à son cou" (Lit: to throw one’s legs to one’s neck) To take to one's heels .............................. Then, (Alors)… Au revoir et à bientôt j'espère!

Flies the colours! Annoncer la couleur!

Click on the photograph for a larger view

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.