20 March is la Journée internationale de la francophonie as well as part of la Semaine de la langue française et de la francophonie. An interesting element of this annual celebration is the Dix mots initiative, when the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie chooses 10 words and invites French speakers around the world to use them in stories, poems, collages, or any other endeavor they might imagine. I thought it would be fun to provide these words in the hopes that you'll share your creations with us in the comments. À vous les paroles !
- baladeur
(adj) wandering, roving; (m noun) Walkman
- le cheval de Troie
Trojan horse
- le crescendo
crescendo
- escagasser
(Provençal) to stun, bore, annoy
- une galère
(ship) galley; (inf) annoyance, problem
- un mentor
mentor
- mobile
(adj) moving, movable, mobile, changing; (m noun) mobile, motive, cell phone
- le remue-méninges
brainstorming
- une variante
variant, variation
- zapper
(radio, TV) to change stations
I've provided very basic translations for each word; for more details about meaning and usage, take a look at L'histoire de ces dix mots.
Comments
Le cheval de Troiae
Reminds me of an old cartoon I once saw and never forgot: a line of Trojan soldiers behind a huge wooden horse, one saying to another, “What kind of Mickey Mouse trick is this?”
Je me demande combien il y a de personnes qui utilisent le mot remue-méninges pour brainstorming!
Si l’on trouvait par grace un cheval de Troie dans le coin, lequel cheval etant debarrasse de grecs pour l’instant, (aussi peut-etre par grace, on n’en sait trop), on pourrait enfermer dans le dit cheval une liste alphabetique bien sure(voir ci-dessous) de tous les jolis mots de cet bel exercice. (baladeur,
le cheval de Troie (facultatif), le crescendo, escagasser, une galere, un mentor, mobile, le remue-meninges, une variante, zapper)
RE MUE-MENINGES est un jot de mots pris sur :
REMUE-MENAGE qui lui, veur dire un grand desordre dans une piece ou une maison, (commotion).
On dit aussi FATIGUER LES MENINGES
I was inspired by «Les Dix Mots» to make an illustration for each word. If you have time, view them here. Please let me know if they hint at the wonderful subtleties of the French language
You have a good set of skills there, nice drawings Rob.
enjoyed Rob’s illustrations
Me too.
La quel …