sue

Don't laugh too hard but trying to develop a good cheat sheet so I won't be clueless or have to lug around a book. Want to share your favorite item? <BR>Here's what I have so far... <BR> <BR>café noir, un café (express) classic <BR>café au lait express with mostly steamed milk <BR>une carafe d'eau tap water <BR>un thé citron tea with lemon <BR>un thé nature plain tea <BR>un chocolat chaud hot chocolate <BR>un citron pressé fresh-squeezed lemon juice (comes with water and sugar) <BR>Orange pressee (fresh orange juice) <BR>Vittel-menthe (shot of crème de menthe diluted with mineral water served cold) <BR>croque madame is a grilled cheese <BR>croque monsieur is a grilled cheese ham sandwich <BR>bien cuites well cooked <BR>oeufs brouilles scrambled eggs <BR>tartines, open face sandwiches <BR>Solde it means Sale. <BR>Dégriffé means marked-down. <BR>A discount is a remise <BR>

Capo

"bouteille de l'eau" is a bottle of water. <BR> <BR>I always remember the pronounciation (approximate, anyway) because, if you shake it, you're doing what KC & the Sunshine Band sang: "Shake Your Bouteille." :~)

Pierre

Ne manquez pas le desert. <BR> <BR>

AGM/Cape Cod

Sue- <BR> You might want to add those things that you hate to the list so you recognize them when they appear. For example if you wouldn't ever eat sweetbreads then you need to know ris de veau. Although with the mad cow they were not serving ris de veau this year in France, I was devastated.

Betty

Hi, Sue. You might want to check this site: http://french.miningco.com/library/b...egin_vocab.htm <BR>Click on "Food" or any other major subject and it will then give you several categories with translation. You could copy and paste several lists on one sheet. And it also gives you the pronunciation if you have Realplayer. <BR> <BR>I hope you will allow an ex-French teacher a few corrections - I will be gentle. A croque-monsieur is more or less a grilled ham and cheese sandwich but a croque-madame is the same with a fried egg added. A bottle of water is "une bouteille d'eau (minerale)" or just use the brand names "une bouteille d'Evian (de Vittel, etc.)" <BR>Et Pierre, quel desert est-ce qu'il ne faut pas manquer - le Sahara ou le Gobi?Vous vouliez dire le dessert, n'est-ce pas? OK, I'm putting down my red pen now. I hope you have a wonderful stay in France, Sue. Your wanting to learn a little French before you go shows that you have the right attitude. Bon voyage! <BR>

Pierre

Cher Betty, le oops!

Ursula

Check out the site of Parisavenue. Very good for some basics, among a lot of useful information about Paris. <BR> <BR>www.parisavenue.com <BR> <BR>Click "Visitor's Guide", then "Smart Tips", then "Speak easy"... and there you are. Voilà! <BR> <BR>Direct page is: http://www.paris-visitors-guide.com/p11.shtml

Ursula

.. sorry, that direct page does not seem to work. Just do it with www.parisavenue.com

PB

&lt;&lt;Vittel-menthe (shot of crème de menthe diluted with mineral water served cold) <BR> <BR>Usually called a menthe à l'eau - it's mint flavored syrup - not crème de menthe <BR> <BR>&lt;&lt;bien cuites well cooked &gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>bien cuit - well done <BR> <BR>&lt;&lt;café au lait express with mostly steamed milk &gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>If you mean a small espresso with milk - that's called a 'noisette' <BR> <BR>PB

sue

Thank you everyone!! Especially the corrections. I've read so much I'm not sure what source I got all those from and thought they were printed correctly. <BR>If I'm gonna cheat I want an "A" LOL <BR>Wish me luck.

elaine

my favorite French food item, by sound only, has always been <BR> <BR>pamplemousse <BR>=grapefruit <BR>granted, it doesn't come up all that often <BR> <BR>I find that these come in handy: <BR>une demi-bouteille=a half bottle <BR>une serviette=a napkin <BR>l'eau minerale non-gazeuse (still water) <BR> <BR> <BR>I've almost given up on ordering coffee in France and Italy--no matter how many different phrases and nuances I think I've learned, I never quite get what I wanted anyway (my fault, not theirs) <BR>Main problem is that I just don't appreciate espresso to begin with, my coffee tastebuds are just not on a high enough plane. <BR>

BTilke

Dégriffé: clothes that are marked down, but it's usually because the label (the "griffe") has been cut out. Stores that specialize in dégriffé clothes often get them from designers who remove the labels (or require the labels to be removed) so people don't know whose stuff wasn't selling. <BR>Another place to find good clothes at steep discounts are depot-vente stores (second hand). But in places like the 16th arrond, home of stores like Reciproque, the level of quality is very high--good places to find Chanel bags, Hermes scarves, etc., at reasonable (but still not low)prices. <BR>Re coffee, I can't stand espresso. Way too strong for me. I stick to a petit creme, usually just ordered in the morning, but I don't care, I order it in the afternoon or evening, faux pas be damned. <BR>BTilke

Lori

Bouef(sp) - beef <BR>veau - veal <BR>grenouilles(sp) - frog legs <BR>lapin - rabbit <BR>vin - wine <BR>rouge - red <BR>blanc - white <BR>fromage - cheese <BR>poulet - chicken <BR>poisson - fish <BR>langostines - lobster <BR>salmone - salmon <BR>McDonalds - McDonalds <BR>prix fix - price fix <BR> <BR>Sorry about the McDs <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Steve

Sue - One my wife suggested and we used several times to ask the waiter or waitress to please bring the check. Since my French spelling is so lousy, I'll spell it phonetically.... <BR>"see voo play, leh a-dish-see-on". We Americans are used to eating faster and restaurants encouraging table turnover; not the norm in France. They don't bring your check or even ask if you're through unless you tell them.

michele

OK, I'll be gentle in my corrections too. <BR> <BR>The bill is "l'addition," pronounced "lah-dee-SYOHN." Or, even easier, you can just ask for, "la note, s'il vous plait."

Capo

Elaine, I love the word pamplemousse too! <BR> <BR>I also love the Italian version: pompelmo, which sounds like it could be a children's book in Italy: "Where's Pompelmo?" :~)

cest

For those who do not enjoy annimal innards: <BR>cervelle=brains <BR>rognons=kidneys <BR>langue=tongue <BR>foie=liver <BR>foie gras=goose liver <BR>pate=mashed liver mixed with meat(usually) <BR>terrine=liver in dirt pot <BR> <BR>bon appetite.

xxxx

Get the lonely planet book world food france it is small and has a comprehensive culinary dictionary

Mika

Steak frites - steak and fries <BR>café - small black coffee without milk <BR>croissant-croissant <BR>sandwich- sandwich <BR>café au lait - big coffee with milk <BR>menu en anglais- menu in English <BR>l'addition - check <BR>vin rouge ou blanc- red or white vine <BR>pastis- aperiif with anis <BR>s'il vou plait- please <BR>merci (madame or monsieur)- thank you <BR>ou e la toilette- where is the WC <BR>This should get you tru. <BR>

marge

Sue, great question. <BR> <BR>Elaine, you would just love the Pamplemousse Restaurant in Las Vegas but not a grapefruit in sight. It's about a 4 **** and food was great many years ago. <BR> <BR>Cest, I sure appreciate kowing what not to order by mistake.