Être à cheval sur les principes! To be a stickler for principles!

We no longer see the mounted police trotting down the streets of Boston.

Unfortunately, because of budget cuts, it was dismantled on June 30.

Of the unit's horses patrol, two have returned to their prior owners, five have been leased to the New York City unit, and five others were sent to a greener place, in Plymouth.

Dating from 1873, the Boston mounted police was the oldest in the country.


Depuis cet été, on ne voit plus la police montée trotter dans les rues de Boston.

Hélas, celle-ci a été démantelée le 30 juin 2009 en raison de coupes budgétaires.

Parmi les chevaux de l'unité de patrouille, deux sont retournés à leurs précédents propriétaires, cinq ont été prêtés à l’unité de Police New York et cinq ont rejoint les verts pâturages de Plymouth.

Datant de 1873, la police montée de Boston était la plus ancienne du pays.

French Expressions in context / Expressions françaises en contexte

A few expressions around the word
"cheval" :

“ Monter sur ses grands chevaux ! " (lit: to mount on one's high horse!). To get on one's high horse ! This expression which means to get very angry, takes its origin in the Middle-Ages. At that time, there were different types of horses which differed by their size depending of the purpose : war, transport or agriculture. We are talking here about the feudal destriers also called "cheval de lance" (lance horse) or "cheval de bataille" (battle horse), trained for jousts and only ridden in battle (they are well depicted on Bayeux Tapestry ) Destriers were percherons type: very strong , and massive, build with long legs and a spirited temperament. Hence the figurative expression in the 16th century "monter sur ses grands chevaux". The term destrier (destrier or dextrier in French) is derived from latin word dextrarius , that is"right sided" (being left-handed was not an option, since it was associated with the devil). This brings us to the next expression: "enfourcher son cheval de bataille!" (lit: to ride its horse of battle ). “a cheval de bataille/ hobby-horse!” This figurative expression which obviously comes from the previous one, doesn't relates to war, or conflicte anymore. However, they share the same idea of having a goal to reach. A "cheval de bataille" is a plan, an agenda to defend someone's favorite subject. And with the same keystone in mind, you might: "Être à cheval sur les principes!" (lit: To be on a horse on principles) "to be a stickler for principles." The origin of the expression is not clear. It is mentionned in the French Academy dictionary in 1832 and means to be firm , sticking to something, in reference to riders who are firmly seated on the back of the horse. Have you ever received this kind of letter?: "une lettre à cheval " (litt: a letter mounted on a horse) This obsolete expression describes a letter which is arrogant and impudent. In the 16th century, the locution"parler à cheval " (to talk on horse) refered to a haughty or rude way to talk. Not be confused with another old expression "parler cheval" (to speak badly/ to jabber) which, in Quebec, became "parler joual" (the word joual being a distortion of "cheval") In lieu of "à cheval" the adjective "cavalier/ cavalière" (flippant) is frequently used. One expression shared by two worlds! : "un cheval de retour" (a return horse): A recidivist, a "two time-loser" We are here in the world or prison. This slang expression, dating from 1829, designates a recidivist. From there, we jump right into the world of Politics where this expression describes a discredited politician who comes back on stage. Beware Gentlemen ! the following expression is not a compliment to women to say : "Etre un grand cheval!" ( Lit: to be a high horse) A tall ungraceful woman Finaly, if you don't take in something into consideration, you might say this amusing phrase: J'en parlerai à mon cheval! (lit: I will talk to my horse) If you think you can think again! On that last note... A bientôt !

"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!

Mettre les voiles! To take off!

Click on the collage to see it larger.

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!

Se faire épingler! To get nabbed!

These 12 foot-high red pins have been installed, just a year ago in July 2008, in different locations in the city to point out Boston historical sites and cultural attractions nearby.
Each pin has interactive features, allowing visitors to send text messages and receive historical and cultural information on that location or about nearby events.
Pins location: Boston Common, Boston's City Hall Plaza, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston's Children's Museum, New England Aquarium, Christopher Columbus Park, Copley Square, Franklin Park Zoo, and Roslindale Village

Ces pins rouges de plus de 3 mètres de haut ont été installés, il y a tout juste un an (en juillet 2008), à différents endroits de la ville pour indiquer aux promeneurs les points d’intérêt de Boston.
Chaque pin possède une fonctionnalité interactive permettant aux visiteurs d’envoyer des textos et de recevoir des informations historiques et culturelles sur l’endroit et sur les activités autour.
Localisation de ces pins: Boston Common, Boston's City Hall Plaza, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston's Children's Museum, New England Aquarium, Christopher Columbus Park, Copley Square, Franklin Park Zoo, and Roslindale Village.

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

Se faire épingler! (lit: to be attached/pin up) To get nabbed! Used in a figurative way, this common slang expression is related to the world of gangsters and evokes the pictures of criminals pinned up on police's walls. ....................... Tirer (retirer) son épingle du jeu. (lit:to pull out one’s pin from the game) To pull out in time/to play one's game well. This metaphor dates back to the 16th century. It finds it roots in a French game “le jeu des épingles” (pin game) played in the 15th century by young girls, in which players placed pins in a circle drawn at the foot of a wall. Each girl had to throw a ball against the wall to make it bounce back in the circle to knock the pins out of the circle. The goal was hence to take one’s pin out of the game: “retirer son épingle du jeu” . There is another version of the same game played in the south of France in which girls would hide their needles or pins under a pile of soil or sand and threw a stone/rock onto it to knock out the pins. Also, note that, in the 16th century, the word "épingle" as in a sting appeared in many literature works where it evoked the masculine sex. ....................... Être tiré à quatre épingles (lit:drawn out/tighten with four pins): To be neatly dressed/ be dressed up to the nines Today it has a pejorative connotation. This expression comes from the late 17th century. It alludes to the women clothing and more precisely how they wore their shawl or scarf crossed across the chest and fastened with three or four pins. However, back to the Middle-Ages, the four pins were used by the pilgrims. The parish of Saint-Jacques-de-l’hôpital in Paris, attests that they were clothing rules in the way to attach pilgrims short cape. Besides, in the 17th century,"Les épingles" in the plural form, also referred to allowances (pin money) husband gave his wife for her purchases such as costly pins. ....................... Monter en épingles. (lit: to mount sth on a pin): To build sth up / to blow something out of proportion. According to Le Robert: Dictionary of expressions and locutions, this expression refers to jewelry and more precisely to the technique of mountingor setting a stone as an adornment to looks like the head of a pin. Hence, the metaphor of bringing up or mounting a valued item to draw attention. ....................... On jetterait une épingle qu'elle ne tomberait pas à terre! (lit: We would through a pin, it won't fall on the floor!) It's packed! when talking about a compact crowd. ....................... Mettre une épingle sur sa manche. (lit: to put a pin into ones' sleeve) Outch ! To make a mark. In order to remember sthg. French equivalent expression "Faire un noeud à son mouchoir"(lit"to tie a knot in one's handkerchief) ....................... Now a slang expression: Avoir une épingle à son col/ à sa cravate: (to have a pin at one's collar/tie) To drink bottoms up/ to be drunk The expression has originated in the 19th century when someone was drinking half of a "setier" (old measure for a 1/4 liter), bottoms up. ....................... Any other suggestions? but, maybe you will find that..... Cela ne vaut pas une épingle! (lit: it isn't worth it a pin!) It isn't worth it! Originated from 19th century in reference to the sewing pins. :-)

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!

To box things up! Faire ses cartons!

According to the CPS (Current Population Survey), less than 12 % of Americans moved since 2007. In comparison, between 1950s and 1960s, the number of movers reached near 20%.
Here is a map of the migration flows in the US.

As for us, after living 10 years in our house, we have decided to move because we felt in love with another house only a few steps away... We are now ready for another adventure!

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Selon l’enquête du CPS (Institut National de Statistiques) moins de 12% des américains ont déménagé depuis 2007. Par comparaison, entre 1950 et 1960, le nombre de déménagements atteignait alors 20%. Ici , une carte des flux de migrations internes aux US.

Quant à nous, après avoir vécu 10 ans dans notre maison, nous avons décidé de déménager car nous sommes littéralement « tombés en amour » pour une autre maison à seulement quelques pas d’ici... Nous voilà prêts maintenant pour une autre aventure !

French Expression in context / Expression française en contexte

The word "carton"derives from "carte"(borrowed from Italian "carta"). It is a thick reinforced paper used for all kinds of purposes.
Thus different expressions stem from this:

“ Faire ses cartons! " (lit: to make one's boxes). "Packing moving boxes!" To box things up! This figurative informal expression is often used in France when someone is moving. The word "carton" designates here the moving boxes. "Faire un carton!" (lit: to make a card). "It's a hit !" /To Do great. This expression has different meanings: 1. Back to the beginning of the 20th century, it was used in a shooting range, when the bullets were shot all in the middle of the target made of cardboard (carton in French) which led to a success. 2. In terms of Printing and Publishing, it refers to a technical process in which one or more papers containing errors are detached from the original document to be redone for printing. "cartonner" (to box/ to card) . To do great or To crash one's car. This verb is derivated from the expression "faire un carton". 1. It is used in an informal way also in a sens of success: "J'ai cartonné à mon examen de français!" (I did great on my French exam!). 2. However, it is also used in slang when having a car accident. A "carton" is an accident. "Taper le carton!"(lit: to hit the card). “Playing cards !” It's a familiar expression that found it roots in the old days when cards were made of cardboard (different layers of paper sticked together). The verb "taper" comes from the old French word"taquer" which means "frapper" (to hit). "(prendre) un carton jaune/rouge!": (to get) a Yellow/Red card. As in English, it is used in many sports to indicate that a player is to receive a suspension (temporary or permanently) regarding his conduct.

A bientôt!