French phrases .....

French is the language of diplomacy. It is the second or third language that English product labels of ingredients and instructions are translated into (French used to be first; now is usually second to Spanish, then Italian, and then German, Russian, Japanese and Chinese). French is Latin based. It is the second language of Canada. It is the language of the area around New Orleans and up through the Central states (our old Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon in 1803). French settlers and French priests settled around the Great Lakes in the 1500s, 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. Go to Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and you will find many French names and words going back to the trappers, priests, and settlers.

As a result of the physical closeness of England and France, and our history as a colony, we all know a number of "basic French words and phrases," which have become part of the English lexicon. Just look at how many you already know! I only went to A, B, start of C and a few R's. When you are watching the show, if you catch even a couple of the words they say, you can usually figure out how to delve into the thought. And, because of the Latin roots, they are generally phonetic and easy to find. If someone just "tells you" what is said, you won't learn how to translate short French phrases. It is so much fun to figure it out for yourself.

With the caution, of course, that "French" is different depending on the part of France, or the French speaking country, or the French island, or the part of North America where the language is being spoken. Language becomes very regional over time.

The French spoken by some Americans (like myself) is met with polite smiles in France; then, they usually go to English. Communication requires a sense of humor. When I am there, I get by with a lot of pointing (like most, I read it much better than I speak it), and a lot of smiles and eye contact. I rely on certain phrases (I LOVE French Bread) so, as I wait in line each day, I practice saying, "un baguette, s’il vous plaît" and "voila" and "merci." Then, I hold out my coins and hope they are fairly honest as they make change in my proffered paw.

I ask for everything "s'il vous plait" because I can't apologize for being a customer, and occasionally, accidentally, throw in some Spanglish if I become a mite frustrated. I have been known to ask for "un baguette, por favor" which they accept with humor; however, there is also the problem of them then reverting to Spanish. They thought my spouse was German, so they reverted to speaking German at du château de Fontainebleau. We had the proper phrases, so we were able to get by. It all requires humor and smiles to get on. Look at how well you already speak French:

à la carte = on the menu
à la mode = with ice cream (different in France)
Adieu! = goodbye
Adroit = skillful
Aperitif = before dinner cocktail
Après moi, le deluge = after me, the deluge; after me, the flood (Louis XV)
Armoire = wardrobe or cabinet
Art nouveau = 19th or 20th century art
Attaché = attached to an embassy
Au contraire = on the contrary
Au fait = being familiar with
Au gratin = with gratings, or with cheese
Au jus = with juice
Au naturel = nude, natural
Au pair = a foreign domestic
Au revoir! = see you later (Nixon, on leaving the White House)
Avant-garde = cutting edge
Baguette = a long, narrow loaf; aka French bread
Ballet = classical dance
Beau geste = beautiful gesture
Beaux-Arts = monumental beautiful building of the early 20th century
Belle Époque = time between late 19th century and WWI
Bien entendu = of course
Billet-doux = love letter; "sweet note"
Blasé = unimpressed; jaded
Bon appétit = good appetite
Bon vivant = one who enjoys the good life
Bon voyage = good journey
Boulevard = a major street through a city
Bourgeois = middle class
Bouquet = handful of flowers
Bric-à-brac = small ornamental items
Brunette = person with dark brown hair
Bureau = a whole office or just a desk
Cache = a group of hidden objects
Cachet = stamp of approval; quality items have "cachet"
Café = a coffee shop
Café au lait = coffee and milk
Canapé = small morsel to eat by hand
Canard = rumor or anecdote (told, or used, over and over)
Ca ne fait rien = it doesn't matter ("san fairy Ann" in WWI soldier slang)
Carte blanche = a blank check
C'est la guerre = such is war
C'est la vie = such is life; that's life
Chaise longue = long chair (not a "chaise lounge" which would be redundant)
Champs-Élysées = "Elysian fields" longest boulevard in Paris (shauntz-E-lezay)
Chargé d'affaires = person left in charge at an embassy
Chauffeur = driver
Raison d’être = reason for being
Rapprochement = establishment of cordial relations, often used in diplomacy
Reconnaissance = scouting
Renaissance = a cultural movement in the 14-17th centuries; rebirth
Reservoir = an artificial lake
Restaurant = public eating establishment
Roué = a debauched, lecherous old man
Roux = flour and fat thickening mixture for soup or sauce

Sure, tell me when they happened. I actually didn't notice any French phrases, but that's probably because I understood them just like I understand English.