DON'T BOTHER ME

Pompon a la flemme

The Birman is back. Famous French cat Pompon needs no prompting to show what "avoir la flemme" means.

Vocabulary

la flemme:  laziness

avoir la flemme:  to be lazy

©2014 P.B. Lecron

GOOD AS GOLD

Sage comme un image

Cat star Pompon shows what this French expression means. 

Vocabulary

un sage:  a sage, a wise person

sage:  wise (adjective)
un enfant sage:  a well-behaved child

Expression

être sage comme un image:  to be as good as gold

smart photo courtesy of Marianne Lecron

©2013 P.B. Lecron

AUTOFICTION

Time spent with a cat is never lost.

Famous French cat Pompon contemplates the next entry in his online diary, a thought from Colette: "Le temps passé avec un chat n'est jamais perdu."

For more of the same nature: The Cat's Pajamas

©2013 P.B. Lecron

MITTENS

Learn French with Pompon

Un chat avec des moufles n'attrape pas de souris. 

Pompon, A French Education's mascot--or should I say mask-cat, illustrates an ancient Greek proverb: a cat with mittens doesn't catch mice. 

Vocabulary

les moufles:  mittens

attraper:  to catch

une souris:  a mouse

un tapis de souris:  a mouse mat (for computers)

©2012 P.B. Lecron

WET BEHIND THE EARS

Pompon, French Birman who has just turned two, has no qualms about drinking tap water, and in fact has put his all into prepping for today's photo session. The expression "wet behind the ears" can be translated to French as "c'est un petit jeunot"  (it's a young lad), or "manquer de 'l'expérience" (to lack experience).

Vocabulary
jeune:  young
un jeunot:  a young lad
l'eau du robinet:  tap water


©2012 P.B. Lecron

DOG-TIRED

Pompon, a French Sacré de Birmanie, demonstrates the meaning of flagada. Dog-tired.

©2012 P.B. Lecron

DE-FEET-IST

Metric measuring tapes are very stubborn; they won't give an inch.


Vocabulary
une mesure à ruban:  a measuring tape
une mesure:  a measurement
mesurer:  to measure
prendre les mesures de:  to measure, to take measurements of
sur mesure:  customized
avec mesure:  with moderation
une mesure d'austérité:  an austerity measure
défaitiste:  defeatist (adjective or noun)

©2012 P.B. Lecron

A GENTLE REMINDER

Un chat de canapé

This really isn't a cat blog, but Pompon, an immature and docile chocolate-point Sacré de Birmanie  who has yet to scratch anyone, is A French Education's mascot. The exotic breed is one of the hexagon's three favorites of couch cats. 

Il n'y a pas de chat, si fourré soit-il, qui n'ait pas de griffes.--proverbe français

There is no cat, furry as it may be, that doesn't have claws.--French proverb

Vocabulary

un canapé:  a sofa

un griffe:  a claw

un coup de griffe:  a scratch

fourré:  thick with, as here, fur

un hexagon:  a hexagone; a nickname for France because its geographical borders form a hexagone

©2012 P.B. Lecron

KEEPING WATCH

Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent. --proverbe français

When the cat's away, the mice will play. --French proverb

Vocabulary

le chat:  cat

les souris:  mice

danser:  to dance

jouer:  to play

©2012 P.B. Lecron

GOOD TO THE LAST DROP

 On n'est jamais si bien servi que par soi-même.

One is never better served than by oneself. 


Pompon had no compunction about reaching down to the bottom of the water pitcher for the last few drops. Waste not, want not.

Vocabulary

une carafe d'eau:  a water pitcher

l'eau du robinet:  tap water

un broc:  a pitcher

©2012 P.B. Lecron