la pomme, noun:

apple

falling into the apples (tomber dans les pommes) = the French expression for "fainting"

la pomme de terre (earth-apple) = potato

Aux pommes (with apples) = first rate, A1

Pomme d'Adam = Adam's apple (anat.)

pomme de pin = pine cone

How in the world did they get "falling into apples" to mean fainting?

good question! are we to imagine standing in an orchard and being overcome by the fragrance of fallen fermenting apples?

Notre amis Francais, aidions nous, s'il vous plait! (and excuse my french if my spelling or grammar is off)

Probably the same way that feeling sick to one's stomach is to have "mal au coeur" (lit-sick to the heart)

le chat m., la chatte f. noun

cat

Le chat tombe dans les pommes. The cat is fainting .)

Ma petite chatte (literally - "my little cat" (f.), for "darling" ). Or if speaking to a man say: Mon petit chat.

Ma petite chatte, tombes dans les pommes. (Darling, you're fainting! )

The following text is from the book: The Complete French for Cats

When I meow, it means . . .

Hello . I am hungry . I want food in my bowl . I want food in my bowl right now . I am not dying-do not put that goo on my food . Here comes a furball . I want to go out . I want to come in . I just put a mouse in the bureau drawer . I did not break that vase . Why did you get out the cat carrier? . I do not want to go to the vet . Please kill the dog next door. . . .

Bonjour . J'ai faim . Je veux qu'on remplisse mon bol . Je veux qu'on remplisse mon bol tout de suite . Je ne suis pas en train de mourir-ne mettez pas cette chose gluante sur ma nourriture . Voici une boule de poils . Je veux sortir . Je veux rentrer . Je viens de mettre une souris dans le tiroir de la commode . Je n'ai pas cassé ce vase . Pourquoi avez-vous sorti le porte-chat? . Je ne veux pas aller chez la vétérinaire . Je vous en prie, tuez le chien de la maison d'à côté. . . .

fuguer (feuh-gay), verbe intransitif

to run away, to run off

Sens Faire une fugue. Anglais to run away


An easy verb for musicians to remember! Think of a fugue. One of Bach's or Shostakovich's. The theme/subject is stated simply in the tonic key and then it runs off, flees, absconds through the dominant key, and other keys like jumping over so many fences all the while being chased or accompanied by episodes and countersubjects!

Présent:

je fugue
.tu fugues
il fugue
nous fuguons
vous fuguez
ils fuguent


PARTICIPE:

Présent Passé
fuguant fugué


There is also the French word fugue.

la fugue, nom féminin

1. flight, the act of fleeing
2. a musical form

Sens 1 Fait de fuir de son domicile familial. Synonyme escapade Anglais flight, (faire une fugue) to run away

Sens 2 Forme musicale où différentes parties reprennent le même motif [Musique]. Anglais fugue

le fruit (frwee) mas. fruit

too easy? then have another:

la graine (grehn) fem. seed (of plants)

Dans la graine, la vie est cachée dans la mort ; dans le fruit, la mort est cachée dans la vie.
- Claude de SAINT-MARTIN, Le Ministère de l'Homme-Esprit

In the seed, life is hidden in death; in the fruit, death is hidden in life.

To memorize nice sayings like this would be a good way to strengthen your French if you already know some.

grand (grahng) .mas. adj.; pl. grands
grande(grahnd) fem. adj.; pl. grandes

english= big, large, tall, grown-up, great

the word is also used as a noun meaning - a person of size, a grown-up, an adult, or an important personage.

C'est dans les grands dangers qu'on voit un grand courage. - Jean-François REGNARD, Le Légataire universel, acte IV, scène 1
It's in the great dangers that one sees great courage.

*********************

"Ce sont les grandes occasions qui font les grands hommes." - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Great occasions (or circumstances, causes, opportunities) make great men.

*********************

Aux grands maux, les grands remèdes." Caton d'Utique
With great maladies, great remedies.

manteau (mahn-toh), noun, mas. sing.; manteaux, plural

coat

J'aime beaucoup la capuche de ton manteau.
I love the hood of your coat.

1. Vêtement à manches que l'on porte par dessus les autres vêtements pour sortir [Couture]. Synonyme: caban; Anglais: coat
2. Partie en saillie construite au-dessus du foyer d'une cheminée.

Synonymes: burnous, caban, cache-misère, cagoule, cape, capote, chape, chasuble, douillette, gabardine, houppelande, imperméable, raglan, redingote

Check out the French Audio Word of the Day. Click on the speakers to hear French pronounced. Trés cool!

fermer (fehr-meh), verb

to close

fermant, closing; fermé, closed

intransitive (without an object):
example: Le magasin ferme à demain.
The store (shop, warehouse) closes tomorrow.

transitive (with an object):
example: Ils ont fermé la route.
They have closed the road.

"Le secret du bonheur en amour, ce n'est pas d'être aveugle mais de savoir fermer les yeux quand il le faut."
Simone Signoret

Translation: "The secret of happiness in love, is not to be blind but to know how to close your eyes when necessary."


promo photo of Simone Signoret,(March 25, 1921 - September 30, 1985), was an Academy Award-winning Jewish-French actress. Her memoirs, Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be, were published in 1978. She also wrote a novel, Adieu Volodya, published in 1985, the year of her death. Notable films: Room at the Top, 1959, won academy award for Best Actress;Ship of Fools, 1965, nominated for academy award Best Actress.


Check out the French Audio Word of the Day

à demain!