Uniquely Quebec, Part 3

I came to Montreal after spending eight years in the States.  I lived in Washington, DC working first for the Egyptian Embassy and later for the British Embassy.  While there, the desire to learn French never left me.  I took courses at the Alliance Française on Wyoming Avenue but after two years realized I wouldn't be able to speak it if I kept speaking in English.

I even joined a French choir that sang at  Sunday service in  Georgetown, but my vocabulary was stunted.  That was when I decided it was time to uproot and put an end to my happy Washington life.

Montreal was a shock.  It must have been because I came in November.  That was a bad decision.  Novembers in Montreal are bleak, and so are the first months of the year.  I may love the French language, but I loathe winters.  I still do. 

The French Canadians I met helped me take my mind off my misery;  a misery made more pronounced because I refused to dress adequately for the winter.  Bending over boots, putting on layers and covering up my ears were rituals I could not get used to.  But the more I closed my mind to winter, the more I opened my heart to French Canadians.  A lovable bunch of warm, fun-loving people, if you ask me.

They like to mind their own business, but they won't hesitate to get up close and personal if they sense the absence of a stiff, upper lip.  They're a delight to talk to; their homemade expressions reflect a spirit that is accommodating, curious, and loaded with humor.  

The way to a French Canadian's heart - I think - are to encourage them to practice their English with you while you throw about some Quebecisms here and there to surprise them.

So I'll wrap up these series on "French Canadiana."  If you ever find yourself in our part of the woods, use any of the expressions below for a cup of good measure!

FRENCH	ENGLISH
Ne pas être dans son assiette	(literally, not in his plate).  Not in a good mood
bébé lala	acting like a child
Il a une grosse bédaine	he's got a big tummy; he's obese
casque:  avoir du casque	(a casque is a cap).  It means audacity, not embarrassed at all
débandé - être débandé	to be disappointed, disillusioned
faire son frais	to be pretentious, arrogant
c'est fort en ketchup!	incredible! unbelievable!
manger de la marde	to be in difficult times, in misery
plein comme un oeuf	to have lots of money, to be very wealthy
c'est une pinotte	(from the English "peanuts")  It's nothing, no big deal
smatte - être bien smatte	smart, intelligent

My next series will be those in our cupboards that tease our taste buds.  Stay tuned!

Uniquely Quebec, Part 2

Let me tell you a story.  Fiction of course!

Emilie and Anne grew up together and have remained close friends.  They agree to meet for coffee.  Anne, knowing that Emilie is always late, sets the meeting time for 2:00 pm, knowing that Emilie will show up an hour late - that is, 3:00 pm.

Anne walks to the café slowly and arrives at 3:05 pm, hoping that Emilie would already be waiting.

No Emilie.  It's 3:30 pm and Anne's getting impatient.  At 3:40 pm, Emilie shows up, huffing and puffing and complaining that the metro got stuck a few times.  Anne says, "but you're one hour and 40 minutes late.  I've been waiting since 2:00 pm."  A white lie between friends never hurts.

Emilie hugs her friend.  I'm sorry, she says, j'étais dans la lune aujourd'hui, comme d'habitude.  Je ne sais pas pourquoi (I was in the clouds today, daydreaming as usual. I don't know why).

They order their espressos and the conversation gets animated.

Anne asks about Emilie's kid sister. Ah, Erica, pauvre elle.  Elle est maganée cette semaine, elle travail trop  (ah, poor Erica.  She's worn out this week, she works too hard)!

The café is known for its home made country bread.  Anne asks the waitress if there is any country bread left.  Pantoute!  The waitress said apologetically.

Emilie frowns, suddenly remembering that her tax returns are overdue.  Anne suggests she lets a tax preparer do it.  Emilie says her accountant does it for her every year but for some reason, this year, "il est dans les patates avec ses comptes et ses clients."  (He's got his accounts and clients all mixed up, he doesn't know what he's doing).

Dating anyone these days, Anne?  Emilie eyes her friend closely.  Anne nods her head and starts to giggle.  "Il est beau, mais il est habilé comme la chienne à Jacques!"  (He's handsome Emilie, but he dresses like Jacques' dog -  meaning he's got no fashion sense).

They both laugh.  It's Anne's turn to ask a personal question.  What about you, Emilie, still dating Mr. Gym?  Emilie's boyfriend works out in a gym 7 days a week.  She tells Anne that she's thinking of breaking up with him.

Anne is surprised.  She thought Mr. Gym and Emilie were made for each other.  Ah boff, je suis tannée.  Il a une faim de loup et mon frigo est toujours vide (shoot, I'm fed up.  He's got a huge appetite and my fridge is always empty.)

Hope you liked the conversation.  Which reminds me, it's summer time.  That means the cafes and terraces in Montreal will come alive and there'll be a lot of girlfriends and boyfriends mingling, sipping Sangrias and Quebec's famous ice wine, and...speaking the French they cherish!

 

Uniquely Quebec, Part 1

When I was studying translation, one book that I enjoyed reading was Deux Langues, Six Idiomes by Irène de Buisseret.  Ms. Buisseret was one person I would have loved to meet face-to-face but she committed suicide in Ottawa, after an enviable career as Chief Translator of the Supreme Court of Canada.  Her list of achievements was outstanding.  She was a lawyer in France before immigrating to Canada.  Her father was a Russian diplomat. 

Ms. Buisseret's Deux Langues, Six Idiomes was a valuable scholarly piece of work, although she didn't write it in stiff, textbook style.  I wouldn't call it a textbook because it was an absorbing literary gem - the kind of book one would curl up with and get lost in time.

The book's theme focused on the many ways that French is spoken and written in different countries.  It's a translator's reference; hence the "deux langues" (for Canada's two official languages - English and French), and  the "six idiomes" referred to the different idiomatic French expressions spoken in France, Quebec, Belgium and other countries.

To be familiar with regionalisms is an indispensable skill for translators.  At times, such regionalisms predominate in everyday language giving the impression that we in Quebec speak erratic (and erroneous) French. 

I'd be the first to challenge anyone who says that the French language as spoken and written here in Quebec is inferior to that of France.  We follow the same grammar and punctuation rules and the Quebec people may have an accent, but that doesn't mean we don't speak or write French correctly.  McGill University and the Université de Montréal produce excellent translators every year.  When people say "it isn't Parisian French", I have to chuckle.  Of course it isn't Parisian - that's stating the obvious.

If people make such snobbish statements, it reflects  ignorance - indeed a narrow-minded view - of regionalisms and the many other colorful expressions that mirror the unique and refreshing Quebec "esprit."

I won't use a table here because I'll be featuring a few expressions instead of single words.

1. You're on a shopping spree.  You see a dress you like.  The price sends your head spinning, and you say:

2.  You bump into a friend you haven't seen a long time.  He's an active person, likes to get involved.  You wonder what he's been up to lately.  You ask:

French:  Salut Jean-Claude.  Qu'est-ce que tu fais de bon?

English:  Hi Jean-Claude!  What have you been up to?  Or simply, what's up?

3.  Your friend lives in Montreal and discourages you from visiting her in November because of the cold.  She uses a slang word for "cold."

French:  Viens pas à Montréal ce novembre.  Il fait frette ici.

English:  Don't come to Montreal in November.  It's cold here.

4.  You're a confirmed fan of chips.  Your friends describe you as someone who likes to snack a lot.

French:  Tu adores grignoter, heh?  Tu veux partager tes chips?

English:  You love to snack heh?  Would you like to share your chips?

5.  Your cousin has gone from one vocal audition to another without success.  You motivate him to persevere some more.

French:  Lâche-pas, mon cher cousin.  T'as beaucoup de talent!

English:  Hang in there, my dear cousin.  Don't give up.  You've got a lot of talent!

Stay tuned for Uniquely Quebec, Part 2!