gouttière
Monday, October 09, 2006
For draining the tears of the Ligurian heavens. Une gouttière in Ceriana, Italy.
Stray (or "alley") cats in France are called "gutter cats" or "les chats de gouttière." Read the story of one here:
Max: A Griggstown Mystery / Un Mystere de Griggstown In English and in French. A long missing tabby cat tells the story of his disappearance, mishaps, and adventures along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Strange encounters with other creatures, great and small, teach Max things about himself, and how to leave the past behind.
la gouttière (goot-yehr) noun, feminine
gutter; drainpipe
Don't miss the story of a wayward French gouttière, a few thirsty begonias, some tart neighbors and the sweet lemon madeleines that bring a few would-be enemies together. Read Words in a French Life (where you will also find the raison d'être behind this blog ... and this burgeoning French life).
Related Terms and Expressions:
goutter = to drip
une gouttelette = a tiny drop, droplet, globule
la goutte de rosée = dewdrop
tomber goutte à goutte = to drip
pleuvoir à grosses gouttes = to rain heavily
boire la goutte = to have a nip
les gouttes pour le nez = nasal drops
la goutte de sueur = bead of sweat
avoir la goutte aux nez = to have a runny nose
ne...goutte = not at all Ex. n'y voir goutte = to not see anything
...and the next time you are in a French café, you might ask for "une goutte de lait" or "a drop of milk" in your coffee. (In which case you wouldn't be ordering a big café-au-lait, but a smaller "noisette"--une noisette at that.)
In Magazines:
France Today features different regions of France with practical travel tips & suggestions for where to eat & stay, where to shop & play, as well as features on food & wine, cinema, culture & French products available in the U.S.A.
Cuisine Et Vins De France (printed in French) features dozens of recipes in each issue along with articles on wine, cheese, appetizers, table decorations, and more.
A popular song to highlight today's word:
:: L'Araignée Gipsy ::
L'araignée Gipsy -- Gipsy the spider
Monte à la gouttière -- Climbs up the rain gutter
Tiens voilà la pluie! -- Here comes the rain!
Gipsy tombe par terre --Gipsy falls to the ground
Mais le soleil a séché la pluie --But the sun has dried the rain
L'araignée Gipsy --Gipsy the spider
Monte à la gouttière... -- Climbs up the water spout
Hear Jackie sing the song (replay it for the unbroken version!): Download araignee_song.wav
(The author to the song "Araignée Gipsy" is unknown)
English version:
The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the waterspout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again
More in Books & Magazines:
The Cat Who Walked Across France After his owner dies, a cat wanders across the countryside of France, unable to forget the home he had in the stone house by the edge of the sea. An unforgettable tour of France.
Harrap's French and English College Dictionary includes:
Chatelaine Magazine in English ... or in French!
Chatelaine features articles on practical home advice, health, beauty, family, and fashion issues, practical home advice, and a wide variety of recipes.
A Message from Kristi: Ongoing support from readers like you keeps me writing and publishing this free language journal each week. If you find joy or value in these stories and would like to keep this site going, donating today will help so much. Thank you for being a part of this community and helping me to maintain this site and its newsletter.
Ways to contribute:
1.Zelle®, The best way to donate and there are no transaction fees. Zelle to [email protected]
2.Paypal or credit card
Or purchase my book for a friend and so help them discover this free weekly journal.
For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety