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08/11/2024

MARIE ANTOINETTE NEVER SAID, "LET THEM EAT CAKE"...

Marie Antoinette’s most famous line has echoed for more than 200 years, reportedly adding fuel to the fire of France’s revolution. The only problem is the French queen’s supposed declaration is a myth — historians don’t think Marie Antoinette ever said, “Let them eat cake,” after being told her subjects had no bread.

Researchers point to two main plot holes in the quote’s supposed backstory, the first being its phrasing in English. In fact, the French queen is supposed to have said, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” or “Let them eat brioche,” a reference to a decadent bread made with eggs and butter.

The second problem is that the outline of the tale predates Marie Antoinette’s reign. At least one similar story cropped up around the 16th century in Germany, wherein a noblewoman suggested the poorest citizens in her kingdom eat sweetened bread.

However, the first person to print the line about brioche was likely Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher who mentioned the story around 1767 in his book Confessions, attributing the comment to a “great princess.”

Rousseau’s text was published when Marie Antoinette was still a child in Austria, though it’s possible the story inspired French revolutionaries decades later, and was repeated with the addition of Marie Antoinette’s name as propaganda against the French monarchy. Yet there is no historical evidence (aka printed materials) that proves the queen ever uttered the phrase.

While Marie Antoinette was known for her excessive spending, some historians say the centuries-long smear to her reputation has long overshadowed her philanthropic side. As queen, she established a home for u***d mothers, personally adopted and cared for orphans, and even sold the royal flatware in 1787 to cover the cost of grain for impoverished families — all activities befitting a benevolent ruler who just so happened to love shopping.

08/10/2024

DRINKING ETIQUETTE IN FRANCE...

A drink at the bar in France is cheaper than a drink at the table. And it’s customary to wait until everyone has arrived before you take your first sip whether that’s one person – or 50! When drinking with French friends, it’s considered polite to clink glasses. And there are a few rules when doing so – first you must keep eye contact with everyone as you clink your glasses, and second you should wait for everyone to finish clinking and staring into each other’s eyes before you drink. It doesn’t matter if it’s alcohol or a non-alcoholic drink.

And if you’re wondering why the French require you to look into their eyes as you toast each other – it’s said that failure to do so will result in seven years of bad luck – or bad s*x! It’s said this custom goes back to the middle ages when you had a drink with someone and you didn’t know if they were friends or enemies and might poison your drink so you watched them intently to make sure they didn’t slip something horrible into your drink!

And finally when you have a drink in France with a friend or family It’s common to say “À ta santé” or just “santé”, which means to your good health and you answer by saying “à la tienne” – to yours. And if you’re wanting to be a bit more formal, like with your boss, you say “à votre santé” – to your good health, answered by “à la vôtre” – to yours! Or keep it simple “tchin-tchin” which is like cheers!.

08/09/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Témoin" - roughly pronounced tay-mwan - is most commonly translated as ‘witness’, so don’t be surprised if you hear this word quite a lot when watching crime dramas in France.

The verb 'témoigner' is to witness or testify you have seen something. There is also a legal status known as 'témoin assisté' - this is someone who is the subject of a 'plainte' and for whom there is some evidence to suggest their guilt.

But there are some other applications of this word too. Most notably, a 'témoin' plays a very important role when getting married in France, arguably more important than the symbolic ‘maid of honour’ or ‘best man’.

In France, this person (or people, as there can be up to four) will certify the legitimacy of the union between the couple, and they make that official by signing the marriage registrar.

As the civil marriage ceremony is required in France to be recognised by the government, anyone you know who is getting married will have to choose at least one 'témoin'.

Unlike civil marriage ceremonies in the UK or US, however, in France your witnesses must know you, you cannot simply pick random people off the street to witness your marriage.

And then the word has some other historic meanings too - if you went back in time to witness a duel, you would see a 'témoin' present as well. This is the person who served as a type of referee, outlining the conditions of the duel.

Use it like this: Je vais choisir Chris comme témoin. Il est mon ami le plus proche depuis des années. - I am going to choose Chris as the witness for the marriage. He has been my closest friend for years.

Je serai témoin dans cette affaire. J'ai vu le crime se produire devant mon appartement. - I will be a witness in the case. I saw the crime happen outside my apartment.

08/08/2024

BREAD ETIQUETTE IN FRANCE...

France is the home of delicious sauces and every meal comes with bread - so is it OK to use the bread to mop up the last morsels of sauce from your plate?

In some countries, using bread to 'mop' your plate is considered rather uncouth. In the UK, for example, polishing your plate in this fashion might (if you're somewhere posh) be met with raised eyebrows or an ironic command to 'leave the pattern on the plate'.

In France, this action is more common, in fact there is even a verb to describe 'mopping up sauce with bread' - it is 'saucer' - pronounced saw-say - and mopping your plate in this way is 'saucer son assiette'.

So does that mean it's OK?

Well, it's certainly widely seen - if you're eating in a restaurant you can virtually guarantee that the meal will come with a basket of sliced baguette, unless you're somewhere very posh indeed (think Michelin-starred dining).

You might be surprised that the another custom is to leave the bread on the table, rather than the plate. Although I have seen bread plates on the table in a few restaurants.

The bread is also supposed to be eaten as an accompaniment to the starter and the main course and if the meal has a lot of sauce it's very common to see people using their bread to mop it.

Some meals - like 'moules marinières' - virtually demand a bit of bread mopping otherwise that delicious wine/garlic/herb sauce will go to waste.

If you're having dinner in a French home it's not unusual to see people mop up the sauce with their bread and it can even be seen as a compliment to the cook; their sauce is so delicious you don't want to waste a single drop.

And when is it not OK?

But if you are in a public place like a restaurant, French etiquette manuals you will find some that suggest that in 'polite' company, it's better to avoid the 'saucer'.

Although even here it tends to be a suggestion rather than a command, such as this one which comments: "It is recommended not to mop your plate, however if the sauce is divine you could discretely put a small piece of bread on your fork and use it to mop up."

By the way, it is perfectly acceptable in a restaurant to request more bread, when one has finished the first basket.

08/07/2024

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY...

"Proche du peuple" - roughly pronounced proe-sh doo puh-pluh - translates directly as ‘close to the people’.

It is mostly used to describe politicians or leaders who are considered ‘men (or women) of the people’. In the US, you might call this person an ‘Average Joe’ or someone who is 'down to earth'

This might be someone who comes from a humble background although not necessarily - the key is that the person would appear genuine and sincere, not elitist or out of touch with ordinary people.

You might also see this word paired with the term 'populaire' in French. While this can mean 'popular' in the sense of being well-liked, it is also used to describe a movement or person who comes from a working class background.

In France, 'proche du peuple' is certainly seen as a compliment - such as these farmers at France's Salon de l'Agriculture discussing which politicians they see as being 'proche du peuple'.

You might also see this phrase used when describing someone who has an affinity or connection to a certain group.

For example, a celebrity might be 'proche du peuple coréen' - someone who has close links or a sincere friendship with the Korean people.

Use it like this: Il a un discours politique proche du peuple. Il ne cherche pas à être trop complexe ou intelligent. - His political messaging is in touch with everyday people. He doesn't try to be too complex or intelligent.

Le candidat a une image proche du peuple, notamment par sa façon de s'habiller de manière informelle. - The candidate has a down-to-earth image, particularly with his informal way of dressing.

08/06/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Pépite" - roughly pronounced pay-peet - translates directly as ‘nugget’ or ‘small chunk'.

In its literal sense you might see this word when baking, as a 'pépite de chocolat' is a chocolate chip, while cereals or cereal bars often have 'pépites' of chocolate or caramel in them.

Don’t expect this to apply to chicken nuggets though - oddly enough, French people say 'nuggets de poulet' when talking about those.

But the word also has a less literal sense, that is roughly the same as a 'star attraction' or ‘hidden gem’ in English.

If you are searching online for nice, but underrated places in your neighbourhood, you might find an article titled 'Les pépites du quartier' (The hidden gems of the neighbourhood).

In this sense, the French dictionary Larousse defines the word as “Something whose exceptional quality attracts attention; a treasure.”

Meanwhile in the sports world, you might see the star athlete on a team described as a 'pépite'.

Use it like this: Il y a tant de pépites à découvrir à Marseille ! Les restaurants sont charmants. - There are so many hidden gems to discover in Marseille! The restaurants are lovely.

Il faut aller visiter la nouvelle pépite japonaise dans le quartier. - You must check out the new, hot Japanese restaurant in the neighbourhood.

08/05/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Déception" - roughly pronounced day-sep-see-ohn - is a classic French false friend (faux ami).

It may look like the English word ‘deception’ but it does not have anything to do with lying, deceiving people or doing duplicitous things.

Instead, it refers to ‘the state of disappointment or sadness’ in French.

So if you see Olympics headlines about 'une grosse déception', it doesn't mean that anyone is lying or cheating, just that they are disappointed with their results.

If you want to refer to dishonest behaviour, you might use the words 'tromperie' or 'fraude' in French.

And this is an example of a word that originally meant the same in French and English, but where the French one has changed its meaning over time.

According to the website French Morning, an online resource for French people living in the United States, the French word 'déception' first arrived in the lexicon around the 12th century as a synonym for ‘duplicitous’.

French Morning went on: “Then we realise that not only do the English (and Americans) speak French without knowing it, but they speak a purer and more authentic French than the French themselves…”

Use it like this: L'équipe française a connu une grande déception en perdant la compétition. - The French team felt great disappointment when they lost the competition.

Manquer cette opportunité a été une énorme déception dans ma vie. - Missing that opportunity has been a huge disappointment in my life.

www.europeanamericantravel.com

08/04/2024

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MAY 3 - 11, 2025
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08/03/2024

APRIL in PARIS 2025
4 Departures in April, 2025:
April 4 - 11
April 11 – 18
April 18 – 25
April – 25 – May 2
$2,299 per person, double occupancy. Single supplement is $400. Includes Airfare (coach class) from New York (other departure cities available); 6 nights first-class hotel; sightseeing, some meals & more!
PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
A deposit of $750 per person is due at time of booking. Balance is due 90 days prior to departure. Once confirmed the booking is NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-CHANGEABLE. We recommend cancellation insurance.
EUROPEAN AMERICAN TRAVEL
www.europeanamericantravel.com / 855-642-7422 (toll-free USA & Canada) / email: [email protected]

08/02/2024

FRENCH PHASE OF THE DAY...

"En lice" - roughly pronounced ahn lees - does not have anything to do with the small insects that you would be very disappointed to find in your hair. Those are called 'les poux' in French - similar is the word 'une puce', which means a flea but can also be used as a term of endearment as 'ma puce'.

The expression 'en lice' actually refers to being part of a competition or tournament. In English, we might say ‘in the running’ or ‘in the fray’. It is often used in a sporting or athletic context, but it can be applied to several different situations.

The expression dates back to the Middle Ages - at least the 12th century, according to the 'Trésor de la Langue Française'.

'En lice' came from the Franconian word listia which meant a barrier, and over time referred to a fenced-in piece of land or area where equestrian games and exercises were held.

At the time, the 'lices' were located near fortified castles, usually on the other side of a moat. They were places where jousts and other tournaments might be held.

Eventually, 'entrer en lice' went on to mean to join a competition or tournament, in the sense of ‘being in contention’ with others.

Use it like this: Quels sont les meilleurs films en lice pour les Oscars cette année ? - What are the best films in the running for the Oscars this year?

Le village normand est en lice pour le titre de "village préféré des Français" cette année. - The village in Normandy is in the running for the 'favourite villages of the French' this year.

08/01/2024

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY...

"C’est osé" - roughly pronounced say oh-zay - means ‘it’s bold’ or ‘it’s courageous’.

You might hear this expression while watching the Olympics, if an athlete makes a decisive, daring choice.

It comes up in other parts of life in France too, and the phrase can either be negative or positive depending on the context.

Anything that comes off as a bit risky could be described as 'osé' - whether that is a politician’s gamble or a confrontation amongst friends.

A synonym might be 'audacieux'.

You might also hear the verb 'oser' in the command form - for example, 'oser en parler' (dare to talk about it). You could also hear it in the negative 'personne n'a osé l'affronter' (no one dared to confront him).

Use it like this: Une cérémonie d'ouverture sur la Seine... c'est osé, c'est sûr. - An opening ceremony along the Seine... it's bold, that's for sure.

C'est osé de faire la présentation sans préparation, mais pas trop intelligent. - It's bold to give the presentation without preparing, but not too smart.

07/31/2024

APRIL in PARIS 2025

4 Departures in April, 2025:
April 4 - 11
April 11 – 18
April 18 – 25
April – 25 – May 2

$2,299 per person, double occupancy. Single supplement is $400. Includes Airfare (coach class) from New York (other departure cities available); 6 nights first-class hotel; sightseeing, some meals & more!

PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION POLICY:
A deposit of $750 per person is due at time of booking. Balance is due 90 days prior to departure. Once confirmed the booking is NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-CHANGEABLE. We recommend cancellation insurance.

EUROPEAN AMERICAN TRAVEL
www.europeanamericantravel.com / 855-642-7422 (toll-free USA & Canada) / email: [email protected]

07/31/2024

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY...

"Trou de souris" - roughly pronounced troo duh so-ree - technically translates as ‘mouse hole’.

While one might use this literally to discuss the passage used by pesky rodents - for example if you need a visit from a pest controller - you are more likely to hear the figurative application.

The phrase is a way to talk about accomplishing or fitting in something that seemed impossible. In English, you might say that you barely squeezed by, or that you did something 'against all odds'.

For example, when the highly anticipated Paris Olympics triathlon managed to go ahead on Wednesday, commentators said it was 'Peut-être le seul trou de souris possible' (perhaps the only possible window) for the event.

It can also be used when you unexpectedly manage to physically squeeze yourself into a small space. For instance, when successfully climbing onto a crowded Metro, you could say 'Je suis passé par un trou de souris pour entrer dans le métro' (I squeezed through the only tiny opening to get into the Metro).

There is another expression that uses the phrase: 'rentrer dans un trou de souris'.

This means to find yourself in a sticky, embarrassing situation. The general idea is that you’d like to escape by any means necessary, including via a tiny mouse hole you could never fit into.

Use it like this: C'est peut-être le seul trou de souris pour les athlètes de jouer le match avant l'orage. - This might be the only tiny window for the athletes to play the match before the thunderstorm.

Ils ont commencé à fermer les barrières pour accéder à la compétition, on est passé par un trou de souris pour pouvoir entrer. - They started to close the gates to the competition, but we managed to squeeze our way in.

07/30/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Une bêtise" - roughly pronounced oon beh-teez - basically means a mistake. In English you might call this ‘goof’, as it is usually a bit light-hearted and is generally reserved for mistakes that aren't really all that serious.

The word is frequently used when interacting with children and it can be found in other popular expressions, such as 'faire des bêtises', which means to mess around or get into mischief.

A harsher version of this expression might be 'faire une connerie', which means to do something bloody stupid or to screw up.

You might use the term 'bêtise' if you want to apologise for a small error. For instance, if you made a spelling mistake you might say 'Ah, j'ai fait une bêtise! Il devrait y avoir un ‘E’ au lieu d'un ‘A’ (Oh I messed up! It should be an E instead of an A)

Perhaps you were speaking with a friend, and you cannot remember their birthday. You could say 'Je ne veux pas dire une bêtise, mais c'était votre anniversaire la semaine dernière, n'est-ce pas?' (I don’t want to make a mistake, but it was your birthday last week, right?)

The more formal phrase for making a mistake is to 'faire une erreur' - and this is also what you would use if your mistake was more serious. Let's say you're the person whose CrowdStrike software update caused computers to crash all over the globe - that would be an 'erreur', rather than a bêtise.

Use it like this: Oups, j'ai fait une bêtise dans l'email. - Oops, I made a mistake in the email.

Arrête de faire des bêtises. Il faut finir tes devoirs maintenant. - Stop messing about. We have to finish your homework now.

07/29/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"La vasque" - roughly lah vask - technically translates as basin or a shallow pool that might be converted into a fountain.

However, during the Paris 2024 Olympics, the word has a specific meaning.

'La vasque' is the word for the flying Olympic cauldron floating above one of the pools in the Tuileries Garden.

In normal times, this part of the Garden is just a pool with a fountain in the middle.

But during the Olympics, the cauldron, which was lit by the Olympic torch, is floating above the ground, carried by a hot-air balloon. You can visit it during the Games period - visits are free, but must be reserved in advance.

During the day it will be above the Tuileries and then each night it will float up to 60 metres high each night during the Games period.

Local politicians have already begun discussing plans to make la vasque a permanent addition to the garden.

Use it like this: C'est gratuit, mais il faut réserver une place avant de visiter la vasque. - It is free, but you do have to reserve a slot before visiting the Olympic cauldron.

La vasque est l'un des objets les plus emblématiques des Jeux Olympiques à Paris. J'espère qu'ils la conserveront pour toujours ! - The Olympic cauldron is one of the most emblematic objects of the Olympic Games in Paris. I hope they keep it forever!

07/28/2024

SOME FRENCH WORDS ARE ACTUALLY ARABIC IN ORIGIN (PART ONE)...

I volunteer teaching French to new immigrants once a week. My students often point out that many French words are originally Arabic.

French is strongly influenced by Arabic. Only Italian and English have influenced the French language more.

Roughly 500 French words come from Arabic, and about 100 of these have become so integrated into the French everyday language that most people don’t even know that they weren’t French to begin with.

You might think that these phrases are mostly 'young person slang' used by people in France's multi-racial banlieues, but in fact many of them have been used in France for centuries, proving the lasting influence of the Arabic language.

Here's a look at some of the most common ones...

Café

The corner café with its terrace tables is an icon of Frenchness, but in fact the word for the drink after which it is named comes from Arabic.

The word coffee comes from the Arabic word 'qahwa'. Venetian traders brought 'qahwa' with them to Europe in the 12th century, but the coffee bean didn't make it to Paris before 1657. Coffee is today an important part of the French diet, often accompanied by a croissant, a tartine de confiture (bread with jam) and the café is an integral part of French social life.

Sucre

The French borrowed their 'sucre' (sugar) from the Italian word zucchero, which the Italians got from the Arabic 'sukkar'. We can thank the Arabs not just for the word, but also for bringing sugar to Europe when they invaded the Italian regions of Sicily and Andalusia back in the 7th and 8th century.

Alcool

Inhabitants of the landmass now known as France have been fermenting stuff to make alcoholic drinks for millennia, but the word 'alcool' is a more recent import.

The French word for alcohol comes from the Arabic word 'kohl', which was used many centuries ago to signify a “very fine antimony powder” - the word 'kohl' is still used in both English and French to describe a type of eye make-up.

Magasin

‘Store’ or ‘supermarket’ is another word the French borrowed from the Arabs, who use 'maḵāzin' for "storeroom” or “storehouse.”

Bougie

The French word for 'candle' was imported from Béjaïa, a small town east of Algiers. Béjaïa was once a commercial hot-spot that exported lots of merchandises. The town was nicknamed 'Bougie' after the wax used to make candles.

07/26/2024

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY...

"Faire la morale" - roughly pronounced fair lah more-ahl - may sound like a speech to boost energy or confidence in a group of people, but, in reality, it is a culturally significant French expression that basically means to reprimand or lecture someone.

While it may be an unfair stereotype to call French people rude, many foreigners do have the experience of being told when their behaviour was inappropriate by a complete stranger.

This may be something as benign as failing to shower properly before entering a public pool and sneezing without covering your mouth, or something more serious, such as reckless cycling in a pedestrian zone.

As such, there are many situations where it may not be related to morals in the ‘values’ sense. You might hear people use this phrase when complaining that someone lectured you unfairly, or when telling an embarrassing story about being told off for an innocent mistake.

Parents and teachers are the most likely group to 'faire la morale' (teach a lesson), as they would be instructing children on how to behave.

A synonym might be 'reprocher', although this is usually used in situations where people have done something that is seriously wrong, or even criminal.

Use it like this: Il m'a fait la morale parce que j'avais déjeuné à mon bureau. - He lectured me because I'd had lunch at my desk.

La mère a fait la morale à son fils en lui expliquant qu'il ne devait pas interrompre les gens. - The mother gave her son a lecture about not interrupting people.

Quelqu'un doit lui faire la morale. Son comportement au bureau est tout à fait inapproprié. - Someone needs to give him a talking to. His behaviour in the office is totally inappropriate.

07/25/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Attention" - roughly pronounced ah-ten-see-ohn - in French is usually spoken with an anxious tone.

Technically, the word is defined similarly to the English version - meaning it refers to one’s ability to focus on something, or the concern given to a specific subject or person.

But if you are walking down the street in France and accidentally step into the bicycle lane, a nearby French person might shout 'Attention!' as a warning.

It roughly means ‘be careful’. It is similar to ‘pay attention!’ in English.

You might also hear this usage of the word when having a delicate conversation. The other person might say something like "Attention, tu ne veux pas dire une bêtise' (careful, you don’t want to say something stupid).

Usually, 'attention' is paired with the verb 'Faire' (to do). Your boss might say 'nous devons faire attention aux détails' (We must pay attention to the details).

A similar French expression is 'fais gaffe!' which also means ‘watch out!’

Use it like this: Attention! Cette assiette est très chaude. - Careful! This plate is very hot.

Attention, vous êtes sur la piste cyclable ! - Careful, you are in the bicycle lane!

Il faut faire plus attention la prochaine fois. Tu as failli me renverser avec ta voiture ! - You must be more careful next time. You almost hit me with your car!

07/24/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Dodo" - roughly pronounced doe-doe - is a shortened version of the verb 'dormir' (to sleep).

It's not just a contraction though, the word has a distinctly babyish tone as well - it is the rough equivalent of the English term ‘beddy-bye’.

It likely comes from an 18th century lullaby ('Fais Dodo') sung to children before bedtime - the lyrics went 'Papa est en haut qui fait des bateaux pour le p'tit Pierrot qui fait son dodo' (Papa is upstairs making boats for little Pierrot who is going to bed). These days, there are other variations of the song.

You’re most likely to hear this expression when spending time with young children - as it is basically just baby-talk - but adults use it as well.

If an important event is coming up, French people may count down by saying that something is only a certain number of dodos away, it's roughly equivalent to saying 'four more sleeps' in English.

You might also hear it if you’ve overstayed your welcome after a dinner party, when your French friend starts yawning and says 'au dodo' (“off to bed”).

Usually the verb 'faire' comes before dodo, so you might tell a small child 'tu vas bientôt faire dodo' (You are going to bed soon).

There are plenty of children’s songs about bedtime that use this word too, and they’ll likely reference some variation of 'la routine du dodo' (the bedtime routine).

The most famous usage of the word is in the phrase - 'Metro, boulot, dodo', which describes the soul-crushing 'commute, work, sleep' routine for some workers living in big cities.

Use it like this: Je vais pas tarder moi. C’est l’heure du dodo. - I am not going to stay too much longer. It’s bedtime.

Encore un petit dodo avant Noël ! - Just one more sleep before Christmas!

Depuis ma promotion, c'est métro, boulot, dodo ! - Ever since my promotion I do nothing but commute, work and sleep.

And if for some reason you need to refer to the extinct species of bird that is the dodo in French, that would be l'oiseau dodo.

07/23/2024

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY...

"Affluence" - roughly pronounced ah-floo-ahns - is a ‘false friend’ (faux-ami), as its meaning in French is not the same as its definition in English.

Nevertheless, the two terms share some similarity, in the sense that both reference having an abundance of something.

In French, the term does not have anything to do with money, instead it means ‘a large gathering of people’ or a crowd. It can also be used generally to discuss the attendance of an event.

You will see the word 'affluence' come up when discussing times of the day that places are expected to be especially crowded, or amid large events, such as the Olympic Games.

Websites for tourist sites might also list 'l’affluence à' (crowds at…) plus the times of the day or year that are especially full.

A synonym in French would be 'foule' (crowd).

Use it like this: Il y aura des affluences record au concert ce week-end. - There will be record crowds at the concert this weekend.

Face à l'affluence de cet été, le site demande aux visiteurs de réserver à l'avance. - In response to the large numbers of visitors this summer, the site is asking people to book in advance.

07/22/2024

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY...

"Dans les coulisses" - roughly pronounced dahn lay koo-lees - technically translates as 'in the wings' or 'backstage', but it has a second meaning too.

While the word 'coulisses' can literally refer to the part of the stage at the theatre that is hidden to the public, it can also mean 'behind the scenes', as in what happens 'behind closed doors'.

There's an element of secrecy to the activities that take place 'dans les coulisses', the idea being that they should remain unseen by the public.

French online dictionary l'Internaute defines 'les coulisses' as the "secret side or, hidden (side) of an activity".

'Les coulisses du pouvoir', which means 'behind the scenes of power', refers to what goes on in a government when there are no journalists present.

Meanwhile, in the film industry, the phrase 'coulisses du tournage' is a way of saying 'the making of'.

The French-German TV channel Arté has a series called 'Les Coulisses de l'Histoire', which means 'behind the scenes of history' and tells the story of historic events by focusing especially on the complexities that we generally don't see or hear about.

Coulisse is feminine so it's 'une coulisse', however you will use the plural version when you're talking about 'les coulisses de quelque chose' (the secret side of something).

Use it like this: J'aimerais bien savoir ce qui se passe dans les coulisses du gouvernement. - I'd like to know what is going on behind the scenes of government.

Il faut comprendre que, derrière un journal télévisé, il y a un énorme travail en coulisses. - You have to understand that, behind a television broadcast, there is a huge amount of work behind the scenes.

On ne s'aura jamais ce qu'a été dit dans les coulisses de cette decision. - We will never know what was said behind closed doors during this decision.

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FRENCH PHRASE OF THE DAY... "Giboulées de mars" - roughly pronounced jee-boo-lay dah mars - are those brief rain bursts that often come totally unexpectedly, sometimes accompanied by hail and strong wind. It’s not the same as an 'averse', which is the French term for ‘downpour’ of rain or snow. 'Une giboulée' is a particular meteorological phenomenon that mostly occurs in spring, often March, which is why they are called 'giboulées de mars'. It manifests itself through sudden and rather unpleasant weather changes, sometimes even bringing snow mid-spring, before going back to sunny weather. The phenomenon is far from France-specific, and in English it is sometimes referred to as ‘April showers’. Use it like this: Ramène quand même ton parapluie. On ne sait jamais avec les giboulées de mars. – Bring your umbrella just in case. You never know with these March showers. What do you call them in your country?