FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Un champ de fleurs -- A field of flowers near a farm in the Lubéron

le champ (shom) noun, masculine
  1. field;  area; scope

Also:
les champs = countryside
le champ de courses = hippodrome, racetrack
le champ de bataille = battlefield
les fleurs des champs = wild flowers

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Expressions

avoir du champ = to have elbowroom
avoir le champ libre = to be free to do as one chooses
le champ est libre = the coast is clear
prendre du champ = to stand back, to give oneself plenty of room
sur-le-champ = immediately

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Citation du Jour
Sème du bonheur dans le champ du voisin, tu seras surpris de constater ce que le vent fera produire au tien.

Sow happiness in the neighbor's field and you'll be surprised to note what the wind will produce in your own. --Juliette St-Gelais

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A Day in a French Life...

Twelve friends, two days and three colors: le rouge, le vert et le jaune.*

Rouge:  for les champs de coquelicots* and plump red cerises* which weighed down tree branches and had them languidly sweeping the Luberon's dusty floor.

Green:  for the leafy grapevines, chestnut trees and maritime pines--the scent of which perfumed the Vauclusien* air as we hiked through a canyon of ochre.

Yellow:  for the sweet-scented flowering genêt,* the abundant soleil* and the powdery mustard-colored earth which covered our skin as we kicked up puffs of the fine powder during our trek along the sentier balisé.*

More on our parcours* to France's "Colorado provençal" tomorrow...

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References: le rouge, le vert et le jaune = red, green and yellow; le champ de coquelicots (m) = field of poppies; la cerise (f) = cherry; Vauclusien = of the Vaucluse (department in SE France); le genêt (m) = broom (plant); le soleil (m) = sun; le sentier balisé (m) =  marked footpath; le parcours (m) = journey