Decoding French-isms: Market / Restaurant Lingo
February 20, 2010
littlebrownpen.com/chicline.com
I used to think I was pretty good at French… until the day I actually moved here and realized just how nuanced the language is when it’s coming at you from all angles. Old people, young people, drunk people, foreign people—they all have their own distinct accents, cadences, and vocabularies. I quickly learned that my “A” in high school French Literature meant very little in the real world, and that making sense of real French would be a lifelong challenge. So far, it has been endlessly amusing…
While I like to think I’ve come a long way, even the most basic phrases were slightly confounding at first. I can understand how new visitors to Paris might feel a little shell-shocked, especially when they’re being barked at by a burly vendor at the Belleville market who is insisting that they “MANGEZ!” the tangerine slice he is brandishing (a regular occurrence in my life). Continue Reading »
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