Travelers' Tales Paris (49 page)

bouquinistes

booksellers

brasserie

informal eating establishment

bricolage

do-it-yourself; patched-up job

bricoleur

handyman; do-it-yourselfer

brocanteur

dealer who sells used goods

butte

knoll, hillock

Ça va?

How are you?

cache-sexe

G-string

calme

calm

carrefours

crossroads

carte d'identité

identification card

chanteurs de charme

crooners

chanteuse

female singer

chaos

pile of boulders

chose

thing

choucroute

sauerkraut

cinémathèque

relating to the cinema

citron pressé

fresh lemonade

clochard

hobo, tramp

coifeuse

hairdresser

Comment?

What did you say?; How?

commerçant

shopkeeper, trader

conseiller

to advise, to recommend

coucher

to go to bed, put to bed

coulisse

behind the scenes

coup monté

put-up job

coups d'œil

glances

croustillant

crisp, crusty

cuisse

thigh

danseuses

female dancers

de riguer

compulsory; the rule

de trop

too many

désolé

desolate; sorry

déviation

detour; diversion

difficile

difficult

dossier

file

eau

water

eau-de-vie

brandy

écharpes

scarves

écorché

someone who is flayed alive

élan

style, flair, enthusiasm

entrepôt

warehouse

essai

try; attempt

extrêmement

extremely

faire les vitrines

to window shop

femmes fatales

women of seductive charm

fête

feast; festival, party

fin

done, finished, end

fin de siècle

end of the century

fine

brandy

fiston

son, lad

flâneur

stroller; street wanderer

fontaine

fountain, spring

frère

brother

fruits de mer

seafood

gendarmes

police officers

grand magasin

department store

gratteurs de guitare

guitar-scrapers

grenouille

frog

habitués

regular visitors

hammam

Turkish bath; spa

haute couture

high fashion

immédiatement

immediately

impairs

odd numbers

indigènes

natives, indigenous people

je déteste le rouge

I detest red

je regarde

I am just looking

joie de vivre

joy of living

jouer

to play

légère

light, slight, weak

littéraires

literary people

loge

dressing room; concierge's apartment; spectator's box

louche

dubious, shady, fishy

lourde

heavy

luxe

luxury

maison

home

malade

sick

merde

shit

midinette

silly young townie

mon

my

mort

death

nacelle

basket

n'est-ce pas

isn't it?, won't you?

naturellement

naturally

noir

black

non

no

oui

yes

pairs

even numbers

Parisienne

female Parisian

péniche

barge

péridurale

epidural

périphérique

outlying, peripheral; expressway surrounding a city

pétanque

lawn bowling

petit peu

a little bit

peu

a little

pied-à-terre

secondary or temporary lodging

politesse

politeness, courtesy

pommes

apples

privée

private

procureaur général

attorney general

promenades

walks, promenades

quartier

district, quarter

quelque

some; a few

quincaillerie

hardware

quotidien

daily; ordinary; everyday

raie

skate; ray

relations

contacts, relations

rouge

red

sage-femme

midwife

salon de thé

tea room

sentier

path

sentinelle

(vulgar) turd; sentinel

societé

company, society

sous-sol

basement

spectacles

shows

sportive

athletic

steak frites

steak with French fried potatoes

terrain vague

empty lot

tout

all

tout de suite

immediately, right away

vendeuse

sales lady

vespasiennes

urinals

ville lumière

city of light

vite

quickly, fast

volupté

sensual delight, pleasure

votre

your

Voulez-vous quelque chose

Do you want something?