Faire le canard
This small, exquisite ancient Egyptian spoon carved in ivory and wood representing a sleek swimmer gliding along with a duck, une nageuse tenant un canard, is on display at the Louvre. It's not certain what these sorts of spoons were actually used for, but they are often referred to as "cuillers à fard," implying they were used for makeup. Most, as probably this one does, date to between 1400 and 1200 B.C.
Expression
faire le canard: to keep a low profile; to not make waves
Vocabulary
un fard: make-up
une nageuse: a female swimmer
©2013 P.B. Lecron
