{"id":31501,"date":"2019-08-02T20:56:03","date_gmt":"2019-08-02T18:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=31501"},"modified":"2019-08-02T20:56:03","modified_gmt":"2019-08-02T18:56:03","slug":"french-eggs-expression-difficult-subjects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/french-eggs-expression-difficult-subjects\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking On French Eggs – Expression For Difficult Subjects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Talking about difficult subjects in a new language is something like a taboo. Not just because the topic may be awkward or inappropriate, but because of all the mistakes that are waiting in le vocabulaire<\/strong><\/a> (the vocabulary)!<\/p>\n

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Image<\/a> from Pixabay. Licensed under CC0.<\/p><\/div>\n

Learning les expressions<\/strong> (expressions, idioms) is a fun exercise in flexing your imagination. Understanding how a morning can be grasse<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (fat) or how how pulling your cheveux<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (hair) has anything to do with making up a farfetched explanation is equal parts frustrating and fun, but at the end of the day it’s about learning new ways to wield le fran\u00e7ais<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Heureusement<\/strong> (unfortunately) or perhaps malheureusement<\/strong><\/a> (unfortunately), sometimes things are almost the same as in English, but more often than not they are just different enough to lead to awkward mistakes. One of those nearly identical expressions came up recently au bureau<\/strong> (at the office) while mon coll\u00e8gue<\/strong> (my coworker) was telling a story:<\/p>\n

Je ne savais pas quoi dire ! Je devais marcher sur des oeufs pour m’en sortir !<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn’t know what to say! I had to walk on eggs to get out!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Given the context it was clear that this was la version fran\u00e7aise<\/strong><\/a> of walking on eggshells<\/em>, just with a bit more of des \u0153ufs<\/strong> (eggs). Realizing the similarities, I started laughing at a somewhat inappropriate time and quickly needed to find my own eggs to walk on.<\/p>\n

John ! Pourquoi tu ris !<\/strong>
\nJe suis d\u00e9sol\u00e9, mais je ne savais pas qu’on avait cette expression en fran\u00e7ais…<\/strong>
\nQuoi ?<\/strong>
\nMarcher sur des \u0153ufs !<\/strong>
\nEt alors ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

John! Why are you laughing!<\/em>
\nI’m sorry, but I didn’t know you have that expression in French…<\/em>
\nWhat?<\/em>
\nWalking on eggs!<\/em>
\nSo what?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I wanted to explain how a very similar expression exists in English, but I suddenly realized I didn’t know how to say eggshells <\/em>en fran\u00e7ais<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

On a pratiquement la m\u00eame expression en anglais !<\/strong>
\nAh ouais ?<\/strong>
\nSauf on dit pas les \u0153ufs… on dit….<\/strong>
\nVous dites quoi ?<\/strong>
\nEuh… l\u2019ext\u00e9rieur d’un \u0153uf… cette partie qui peut se casser tr\u00e8s facilement.<\/strong>
\nTous les \u0153ufs se cassent facilement, d’o\u00f9 l’expression.<\/strong>
\nOui mais…<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have nearly the same idiom in English!<\/em>
\nAh yeah?<\/em>
\nExcept we don’t say eggs… we say…<\/em>
\nWhat do you say?<\/em>
\nUh… The outside of an egg… The part that can easily break.<\/em>
\nAll eggs break easily, hence the expression.<\/em>
\nYes but…<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Je marchais sur des \u0153ufs<\/a><\/strong> (I was walking on eggshells) as I tried to ask about vocabulary after accidentally annoying mon coll\u00e8gue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Un \u0153uf c’est le blanc d\u2019\u0153uf, le jaune d\u2019\u0153uf et la partie qui le prot\u00e8ge.<\/strong>
\nOuais…<\/strong>
\nComment dit-on cette troisi\u00e8me partie ?<\/strong>
\nLa coquille d\u2019\u0153uf ?<\/strong>
\nVoil\u00e0 \u00e7a c’est ce que je voulais dire !<\/strong>
\nAlors on dit marcher sur des coquilles d\u2019\u0153uf en anglais ?<\/strong>
\nOui, c’est \u00e7a.<\/strong>
\nAh… tu as raison c’est pratiquement la m\u00eame expression !<\/strong><\/p>\n

An egg is the egg white, the yolk, and the part that protects it.<\/em>
\nYeah…<\/em>
\nHow do you say that third part?<\/em>
\nEggshell?<\/em>
\nVoil\u00e0<\/strong><\/a> that’s what I wanted to say!<\/em>
\nSo you say walking on eggshells in English?<\/em>
\nYes, that’s it.<\/em>
\nAh… you are right it’s nearly the same expression!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I successfully crossed the road<\/a> and had not only learned something new, but had shared with mon coll\u00e8gue<\/strong><\/a> the very similar English idiom!<\/p>\n

While it might have been an awkward conversation at first, by the end of it I was more comfortable with une nouvelle expression fran\u00e7aise<\/strong>. After all, petit \u00e0 petit l’oiseau fait son nid<\/strong><\/em><\/a> – and you’ll have to click the link to understand that last one!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Talking about difficult subjects in a new language is something like a taboo. Not just because the topic may be awkward or inappropriate, but because of all the mistakes that are waiting in le vocabulaire (the vocabulary)! Learning les expressions (expressions, idioms) is a fun exercise in flexing your imagination. Understanding how a morning can…<\/p>\n

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