Archive by Author
Les chansons de supporteurs de foot (French football songs) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 31, 2017
If you’ve ever watched a French football (soccer) game, you’ve probably noticed that fans shout out some very energetic and catchy songs and cheers. These songs differ depending on the team fans are cheering for, of course. (And it’s not just French fans who do this–if you’ve ever watched a Liverpool game, you might be familiar with You’ll…
Les Meilleurs livres de 2016 (Best French Books in 2016) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 23, 2017
I’ve always been astounded, when walking into a French bookstore, at the amount of international literature (both translated and untranslated) featured on its bookshelves. Oftentimes, in the United States, American authors are highlighted to the exclusion of authors from other countries (although, of course, there are international authors who have enormous followings in the United…
5 French Idioms You Should Know Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 16, 2017
Idioms (les idiotismes, m.) are expressions that don’t necessarily make sense literally, but have a well known meaning to native speakers. In order to be able to understand a language’s idioms, therefore, you can’t just know the exact definition of a word but you must also understand the social and cultural meaning behind that word. It is also…
French Recipe: Hachis Parmentier Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 9, 2017
As the temperatures cool down, there is nothing I like more than cooking warm, hearty meals. In New York, we’ve already hit some uncomfortable lows. That means it’s time to break out one of my favorite recipes: hachis parmentier. Hachis parmentier is a well-known French comfort food, and is similar to the British shepherd’s pie. Even better…
French Question: Why is it “Le Nouvel An” and not “Le Nouveau An”? Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 4, 2017
Bonne année! Happy New Year! I wish all of our Transparent French readers a happy and healthy 2017. Talking about the new year in French can be especially difficult. This is because there are two words that mean “year”–an (m) and année (f)–and because both of these words start with a vowel, which can change the word that…
French in Philadelphia Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 28, 2016
My family and I took an impromptu trip to Philadelphia for the holidays. It’s a wonderful city and, compared to New York, where I’m from, it’s much more manageable and low key, particularly for families. We took my son to the Franklin Institute, where he was dazzled by a robotics exhibition, and then to Drexler…
C’est Noël! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 19, 2016
Well, not quite. Ce n’est pas encore Noël. But it will be soon enough. And it’s the perfect time to enjoy some Christmas music … en français. Last week, John shared with you le chanson “Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver” (Walking in a Winter Wonderland). There’s another holiday classic is often played on French airwaves during this season: “C’est Noël” (It’s Christmas)…