FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

un coffre (kohfr) noun, masculine
1. chest, bin (storage), case, cabinet
2. safe; safety-deposit box
3. boot or trunk (of car)

Also:
le coffre à linge = linen chest
le coffre à outils = tool chest
un coffre-fort = a safe
le coffre à gants = the glove compartment
un coffre à jouets = a toybox
la salle des coffres = the bank vault
un coffre au trésor = a treasure chest
un coffre à bagages = an overhead luggage locker

...and the verb "coffrer" (emprisonner) = to throw or put inside (prison)

Note: coffre is also used informally to mean chest, lungs or voice.

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Expression:
avoir du coffre = (Here, the image of a puffed out "coffre" or chest) = to have the audacity (to)

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Proverb:
On ne jette pas le coffre au feu parce que la clef est perdue.
We don't throw the chest into the fire just because the key is lost.
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A Day in a French Life...

At 3 a.m. this morning I was busy dreaming about snow, when:

"As-tu fermé tes vitres?" my husband mumbled.
"What?" I replied, coming out of a slumber.
"As tu fermé tes vitres?"
"Quoi?"
"It is raining outside, are your windows closed?" Jean-Marc repeated, patiently.

Oh, the windows. Rain. THE WINDOWS!

Realizing he was not going to get out of bed and check to see if my car windows were closed, I dragged myself out into the rain, stopping first by the front door to pick up an oversized parapluie.*

Mission complete, I crawled back into bed and answered my husband in 3 a.m. Franglais:

"Yes, I had closed my vitres.* And, while I was out, I took the opportunity to shut YOUR coffre* which, by the way, was wide open!"

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*References: un parapluie (m) = umbrella; un coffre (m) = trunk (car)