My journey in France...

The dictionary

Now that it makes a while I'm in France, I'm gonna inverse my dictionary. This one will contain expressions frequently used in Quebec. Here are somes:

• Welcome
• The diary
• The dictionary
• More sights

• A' and È'

  Respectively equivalent to «she] and «she's].

• Asteur

  That means «now». Originates from «à cette heure» (i.e. at this hour).

• Bagosse

  It's an aldulterated drink having an alcohol rate almost usurious. Ideal to open someone own's inner pipe before the Quebec city's Carnival parades.

• Ben

  Adverb meaning «well».

• Bigshotte *

  Used to describe an important person (from big-shot). Synonym: boss.

• Bizouner *

  See «gosser».

• Boutte

  Very old French. It means something's end or tip. Also means a non-specific destination.

• Chu

  That means «I'm».

• Débarbouillette *

  Miniature bath towell for cleaning different parts of the body, in particular the armpits in order to delay appearance of smells. Does not exist in France, but has its equivalent called «gant de bain» (i.e. face cloth, flannel). The gant de bain is a kind of chamois for the body.

• Débarque

  See «fouille».

• Dret, Drette

  Expression meaning «at this precise place». Usually suffixed by «-là».

• Eille

  Interjection meaning «Hey, you!»

• Épas *

  (from épais). See «tarla».

• Faire dur

  That means «doing something marginal».

• Foqué *

  Expression describing the lack of coherence in someone's attitude, behavior or raisoning.

• Fouille

  Feminine noun meaning the «action of hurting». Usually preceeded by «piquer une» or «prendre une» (i.e. to get hurt).

• Frette

  Term meaning that «it's much colder than cold».

• Girouette

  Term describing someone's wanderings (from weathercock).

• Gosser *

  Describes the boring activity that is necessary to accomplish an arduous task. Often used to describe the working methods of someone lacking some experience.

• Jammé

  That means «jammed». Synonym: Stuck.

  Special case for computers: that means frozen (regularly happens with Windows 95-98). Words of the same Microsoft family: Reboot, Reset.

• Kc

  That means «qu'est-ce» (i.e. «what is/do») and is pronounced «kossay».

• Lbandnége

  Snowdrift.

• Magané

  That means «deteriorated» (speaking of a thing) or «tired out» (speaking of a person).

• Manquer une bôte *

  Expression, originating from mechanic (bolt), meaning that several cells are lacking (or are out of order) from someone's brain. Synonyms: 2-watt, nightlite.

• Momendonné *

  Expression meaning «at one given time». Synonym: Suddenly.

• Mononc

  Masculine noun meaning «my uncle». Stays invariable no matter the relatives to which you talk.

• Ôte

  Means «other».

• Ouin

  Exclamation meaning «well» (implying an hesitation).

• Pantoute

  That means «not at all».

• Petter'a'yeule

  Rather a coarse expression used in a potentially dangerous situation where a person wants to mean to an other unpleasant one that he's going to «punch him in the face». Synonym: To arrange someone's portrait.

• Poche

  Insulting term describing someone as moron, or a thing as insignificant.

• Poèlle

  Term associated to a particular kind of music (usually from the metal family: heavy-, death-, mega-, etc.).

• Pouilleux

  An individual, stereotypically suspicious, with long hairs (...sometime very long...) from whom no one can pratically distinguish integrally its face (or, at least, partially).

• Pis *

  Conjunction used to sequence two actions (i.e. and).

• Poupounne *

  Word describing a female person endowed with voluptuous curves and that attracts irresistibly every males' look. Specifically used when the lenght of the skirt or the elasticity of the top reaches a critical number.

• Se paqueter *

  To get drunk.

• Se planter

  That means «to make a mistake» that usualy results in finding yourself in a potentially ridiculous situation.

• Se répandre

  That means «falling down while maximizing the surface of contact between your body and the ground».

• Ste smf St' *

  Means «that».

• Stun, stune *

  Means «that's a».

• Tarla *

  Term not much flattering. Used to describe someone who's actions are strangely insignificant.

• Tchècke *

  Expression meaning to «look at someone/something closely right now». Synonym: Watch/check this out.

• Ti-coune *

  Another not much flattering term. Used to described a simple person.

• Tsourdebras *

  Consumer product used daily (preferably in the morning), applied under the armpits. Do not confuse with «baguette» (French bread stick).

• Stane *

  Describes the state near giving up. Expression decribing a person's attitude for which advances towards the people of the opposite sex are constantly rejected.

• Y'

  Equivalent to «it» or «they».

* with the collaboration of Le Petit Garneau dictionary.

The pictures contained in the following web pages were realized by, and are the property of: Martin Lemieux (a.k.a. Maître Bart).
Any copy, in whole or in part, for commercial or lucrative usage must be previously approved by the author.