FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

 
Wisteria and the deep blue sea off Toulon...

Yesterday I had the chance to "grignoter une salade" with a friend along the seashore in Toulon... more about that adventure in the next edition.

grignoter (gree-nyoh-tay) verb
  1.  to nibble at one's food
  2.  to eat away at (savings, natural resources...)

Expressions:
grignoter une place = to obtain a seat (coucil, court, board)
grignoter du terrain = to gain ground
grignoter entre les repas = to snack between meals
grignoter son adversaire = to gain ground on one's opponent

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Citation du Jour
Le bonheur est une petite chose que l'on grignote, assis par terre, au soleil.
Happiness is a little thing that we nibble, seated on the ground, in the sun.         --Jean Giraudoux

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A Day in a French Life...

(Don't miss the story that originally appeared here, along with the vocabulary below--now a part of this book!)

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*References: un petit creux (m) = a little hunger; un gouter (m) = a snack; une mauvaise conscience (f) = a guilty conscience; le frigo (m) = the fridge; la gêne (f) = embarrassment; Pâques (m) = Easter; debout (adv) = standing; un pois chiche (m) = a chickpea; tu as une petite faim, cherie? = are you a little hungry, darling?; une cachette (f) = a hiding place; une frite (f) = a french fry; le niveau social (m) = social standing; bon appétit = enjoy your meal; rouge-tomate =
tomato-red