FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

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la belle-doche (bel dosh) (hear audio file, below) noun, feminine
mother-in-law (pejorative)

Toute femme contient une belle-mère.
All women have within them a mother-in-law. --Jules Renard

A Day in a French Life...
I've noticed that some people find it amusing, often valorisant,* to sit down and note various roles acquired "à travers la vie," while traveling across life. One woman writes: "I am a sister, cousin, granddaughter, niece..." while another honors herself as a mother, daughter, wife, aunt and marraine.*

Men might value themselves as fathers (grand, step- and otherwise), beau-pères,* brothers, uncles, sons, nephews, and parrains*...

We tack on our hobbies, professions and strong-points to qualify ourselves in other ways, and our list grows: "knitter, golfer, gardener, collector, theater-buff, scrap booker, hostess, fly-fisher, animal-lover, bookworm, Francophile, teacher, student, realtor, lawyer, nurse, entrepreneur, best friend, care-taker, confidant, counsellor, volunteer, listener, âme soeur*...

I've also noticed that some acquired titles are less noteworthy, ink-shy if you like: amant,* belle-doche,* nag, worrywart, two-timer, gambler, gossip, rapporteuse,* slowpoke, fusspot, back-stabber, freeloader, rabat-joie,* pinch-penny...You get the gist.

If you live in certain parts of French-speaking Africa, you may be familiar with the title "belle-épouse." Imagine having to call your husband's other wife, the one you wish would just as soon slip on a banana peel near a displaced sewer grate, "beautiful sister"!

While I enjoy learning about others' roles, as for my own, I'll just say that I'm thankful not to have to send ill-wishes to some surely sultry sister-wife.*

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References: valorisant(e) = fulfilling, that which gives self-esteem; la marraine (f) = godmother; le beau-père (m) father-in-law (also can mean "step-father"); le parrain (m) = godfather; l'âme soeur (f) = soul mate; un amant (m) = lover; la belle-doche (f) (pejorative) = la belle-mère (mother-in-law); une rapporteuse (un rapporteur) = tattletale, tattler; un rabat-joie (m) (also: un(e) trouble-fête, mf) = party-pooper; sister-wife (or belle-épouse) = another wife of one's husband in a polygamous society

French Pronunciation:

Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the French word belle-doche: Download belle-doche2.wav
Hear Jean-Marc's sentence: Je n'appelle jamais my belle-mère "belle-doche." I don't ever call my mother-in-law "belle-doche.": Download belle-doche3.wav

Find belle-doche referenced in this book:

Tune Up Your French: Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Spoken French by Natalie Schorr

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