FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

A missed catch: loop (+ screen) + cat = unloopable cat

louper (loo pay) verb
  1. to miss  2. to mess up, to flunk

("louper" is used in informal conversation)

  Il ne faut pas louper le coche,* mes amis!
  We musn't miss our chance, my friends! --Henriette Chardak
     *coach, barge; rater le coche = to miss the boat
.

A Day in a French Life...
by Kristin Espinasse

After a hearty lunch of poulet rôti,* spicy eggplant ratatouille, and rosemary herbed potatoes (and seconds of all three!), I suspect that my son is brimming with health and not at all as sick as he claimed to be when the alarm clock rang this morning. ("Aïe! J'ai mal au ventre!"* he had complained.)

"Well, well, Max, you certainly have the peach!"* I declare, as the French do when pointing out how good they feel. "Maybe I could take you to school now?"
"Mommy," Max pleads, "I need a day off."
"Well, you'll have a lot of class work to catch up on, so don't come crying to me!"

Max shows me a disarming smile before asking what's for dessert. I bring out a bowl of aromatic garriguettes--strawberries so sweet you'd swear they were sugar cubes blushing in disguise. I pass Max the can of whipping cream, figuring that he might as well enjoy his sick day even if he is guilty.
As he eats, he reviews which classes he has missed:

J'ai loupé les maths*...
J'ai loupé la musique*...
J'ai loupé la téchno*...

Listening to my son's losses, I try to balance the debit. While Max missed math, music, and technology, he didn't miss doing the dishes (this, without my asking), he didn't miss making me a surprise cup of tea ("C'est bien chaud!"* he announced, his shining eyes carefully steadied on the steamy surface of the tea lest it spill as he walked), and he didn't miss collecting a handful of roses (after he slipped out to the garden, scissors in hand). Finally, he didn't miss selecting a vase (our best coffee cup in the cupboard) and arranging the flowers into an attractive bouquet before delivering them to my desk. "For you, mommy," he offered.

"J'ai loupé un peu d'histoire." I missed a bit of history, too, my son admits as I poke my nose deep into a pink blossom. Learning about another "louped" class I feel slightly annoyed. Then I get to thinking about Max's history book and all the "important stuff" that is recorded inside for students to study and recall. Why shouldn't this moment be memorized too? How unworthy of note one boy's stolen day may seem to historians who'll never document the sweetness of this tea, nor record the gift of a tender heart.

.........................................................................................................
References: le poulet (m) rôti = rotisserie chicken; Aïe! J'ai mal au ventre! = Ow! I have a stomach ache; avoir la pêche = to feel great; j'ai loupé les maths = I missed math; j'ai loupé la musique = I missed music; j'ai loupé la téchno (technologie) = I missed technology; c'est bien chaud = it's very hot

:: Audio File ::
Listen to me pronounce the word "louper" before my daughter reads today's quote: Download louper.wav We musn't miss our chance, my friends!
.
Terms & Expressions:
  louper son cours = to miss one's class
  louper son bus/train = to miss one's bus/train
  louper le coche = to miss an opportunity, to miss one's chance
  louper son coup = to miss one's chance
  A ne pas louper! = Not to be missed! (program, event...)

Verb conjugation:
je loupe, tu loupes, il/elle loupe, nous loupons, vous loupez, ils/elles loupent => past participle: loupé
Complete Guide to Conjugating 12000 French Verbs

More in shopping....
Made in France: perfumed envelopes--liberate their fragrance in a clothing cupboard, the car, travelling bags or under a pillow
Lavender Honey : Aromatic when used for basting
Rosetta Stone French (CD-ROM) -- language learning via "an award-winning method used by NASA and the Peace Corps"