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What Does “BOLOS” Mean in French Slang? Posted by Hichem on Jun 9, 2013
“Bolos“, sometimes spelled “boloss“, is a brand new word on the French Slang scene. It was virtually unknown just a decade ago! What does it mean? Everyone seems to agree that it designates a person who’s way too gullible. Call it in English a “boob“, a “patsy“, a “pigeon“, a “stooge“, etc. In short, it’s…
La Famille D’Abord (Family First) Posted by Hichem on Jun 7, 2013
J’aime toute ma famille (I love all my family)! La petite (the small) as well as la grande (the extended.) Don’t you too? Do you also believe in the priority that says “la famille d’abord” (“family first”)? Today, we will “familiarize” ourselves, so to speak, with a set of French words and expressions related to…
Summer Fun in Southwestern France! Posted by Hichem on Jun 5, 2013
If you go on a Summer vacation to the South West of France, you can choose between la mer (the sea), la forêt (the forest), la montagne (the mountain)—and you can also enjoy le sable (sand), lots of it! People there call this place “la dune du Pyla“, (“The Dune of Pyla“) What is le Pyla? It’s also…
Shopping at Montmartre Posted by Hichem on Jun 1, 2013
Today, you are graciously invited to join une petite dame sympathique (a little friendly lady) to go on an exciting shopping spree. Where at? Montmartre, Paris’s most picturesque (and therefore “touristy”) neighborhood! Bonjour, today we’ll join Ines de la Fressange (could be her real name) for a little shopping at Montmartre, Paris’s most artistic neighborhood…
French Summer Dessert: Cherry-Almond Clafoutis Posted by Hichem on May 30, 2013
Nothing like a tasty French dessert with plenty of cerises (cherries) and amandes (almonds) to kickstart the Summer! Here’s how to prepare it, mes amis: Put a rack in the middle of an oven and heat it up to 350°F. Put in a large bowl 3 cups of small fresh sweet or sour cherries with 1/2 Tbs…
Before Versailles and Before the Louvre: Fontainebleau Palace Posted by Hichem on May 26, 2013
Everyone knows le Louvre. And I’m sure it is safe to assume that everyone has at least heard of Versailles. But how about Fontainebleau, the château (castle) that is both classique and Renaissance? It’s actually not that far from Paris, about soixante kilomètres (60 kms) South East of the French capital. Of course, you can also choose to…
French Legend: Fontainebleau from Henry II to Henry IV Posted by Hichem on May 23, 2013
Tel père, tel fils (as father, as son), says the popular adage. We previously saw how the father, in this case François Ier (or Francis I in English), was le responsable numéro 1 of introducing la Renaissance to France, by inviting the likes of Rosso Fiorentino and le Primatice to his court. There, the Italian masters…