dilatory • \DILL-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective
1 : tending or intended to cause delay
2 : characterized by procrastination : tardy
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Because of grading and stuff, this is shorter than the others. Sorry, all!
So... lunch. There is lunch in France, but it's not like lunch here. The weekday lunch break in France isn't a half-hour or even one hour thing. It's usually about 2 hours, and those are 2 hours where no work is done at all. The "working lunch" is practically unheard of in France. During this break, it's not like you can take those two hours and go shopping or do some errands. For the most part, non-restaurant establishments close during the lunch hours as well. So for those working in France, even those working on a really major project, they have to delay or put off their work for lunch time. Even schools have lunch breaks lasting from 1.5 to 2 hours, and some students go home to eat during that time.
So yes, you could maybe call lunch breaks in France "dilatory." I think it works, anyway.
**I looked forever for a sign that said "closed for lunch" in French, but there wasn't one that I could find. :(
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Podcast 1! (I recite a poem)
Podcast 2! (I talk about 3 different little strategies I teach my students to help them remember things, and unfortunately two of them involve me singing)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Biannual
biannual • \bye-AN-yuh-wul\ • adjective
1 : occurring twice a year
2 : occurring every two years (biennial?)
Culinary Olympics Begin in France
(published January 28, 2009)
"Tuesday was the opening of the Bocuse d’Or, the two-day, biennial global culinary contest founded by the 82-year-old master, Paul Bocuse, and considered by organizers the Olympics of cooking."
Bocuse d'Or is a cooking competition in Lyon that is held every two years. The competition is named after French chefPaul Bocuse. The first competition of this kind was in 1987. This contest attracts teams from all over the world; there are currently 24 slots available in the contest, and teams are admitted in a variety of ways. "The top 12 finalists of the Bocuse d'Or Europe qualify, from a pool of 20 nations; the top 4 finalists of Bocuse d'Or Asia qualify, from a pool of 12 nations; the top 3 finalists of the Copa Azteca Latin American competition qualify, from a pool of 12 nations. Furthermore 3 entrants are selected from national application, as well as 2 wild card selections" (Wikipedia). Each team has two chefs: one lead chef and an assistant chef (who must be under 22). They have 5 hours and 35 minutes to create the dishes they choose to present, and they do so in front of an audience, the press, and the jury who will decide the winners. Besides the grand prize and the silver and bronze medals, there are also prizes for individual achievements.
France has always been known for its gastronomical talents, but I actually was not aware of this competition. It's probably because American competitors have never finished higher than sixth place (so of course we never hear about it). It's a little like Iron Chef but not quite so quick.
So who won it this year? Norway. They got 20,000 euros and this trophy:
1 : occurring twice a year
2 : occurring every two years (biennial?)
Culinary Olympics Begin in France
(published January 28, 2009)
"Tuesday was the opening of the Bocuse d’Or, the two-day, biennial global culinary contest founded by the 82-year-old master, Paul Bocuse, and considered by organizers the Olympics of cooking."
Bocuse d'Or is a cooking competition in Lyon that is held every two years. The competition is named after French chefPaul Bocuse. The first competition of this kind was in 1987. This contest attracts teams from all over the world; there are currently 24 slots available in the contest, and teams are admitted in a variety of ways. "The top 12 finalists of the Bocuse d'Or Europe qualify, from a pool of 20 nations; the top 4 finalists of Bocuse d'Or Asia qualify, from a pool of 12 nations; the top 3 finalists of the Copa Azteca Latin American competition qualify, from a pool of 12 nations. Furthermore 3 entrants are selected from national application, as well as 2 wild card selections" (Wikipedia). Each team has two chefs: one lead chef and an assistant chef (who must be under 22). They have 5 hours and 35 minutes to create the dishes they choose to present, and they do so in front of an audience, the press, and the jury who will decide the winners. Besides the grand prize and the silver and bronze medals, there are also prizes for individual achievements.
France has always been known for its gastronomical talents, but I actually was not aware of this competition. It's probably because American competitors have never finished higher than sixth place (so of course we never hear about it). It's a little like Iron Chef but not quite so quick.
So who won it this year? Norway. They got 20,000 euros and this trophy:
Monday, April 6, 2009
Diaphanous / Acedia (double post!)
As you may or may not know, Melissa and I just took comps last Thursday. During the study blitz leading up to the exam, I let this slide a bit, and so "acedia" is being presented alongside this week's word, "diaphanous". It's quite a juxtaposition. Anyway, you can comment on both of these or just one of them - your call.
diaphanous • \dye-AF-uh-nus\ • adjective
1 : of so fine a texture as to be transparent
2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal
3 : insubstantial, vague
Well, if I hadn't already talked about lace I might have used it here. It would certainly fit the definition.
The definition that inspired me was the second one, and I thought about les macarons. Delicious.
The picture above came from the Ladurée website, where you can also read a history of the macaron as it is known today.
There is often some confusion between macarons (the French pastries) and macaroons as we know them here. Macaroons as we know them are made with coconut and are usually kind of bumpy. Macarons are sandwiches made with cookies and fillings, and can be in any number of flavors. The best description of how a macaron should be can be found at Serious Eats. This site also tells you a little more about the history of the macaron before Ladurée.
Baking is generally very precise, but macarons require a high degree of delicacy and patience to come out just right. The flavor and texture are very important. Macarons aren't dense, but they are light and smooth. I don't know that I would have come up with diaphanous as an adjective for them on my own, but considering the definition I think it's appropriate.
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acedia • \uh-SEE-dee-uh\ • noun
: apathy, boredom
The first thing I thought of was ennui, which is more or less a synonym of acedia. Ennui indicates the same kind of boredom, disinterest, and lack of motivation that acedia does, but it is also often linked to depression. I tend to associate the idea of ennui (and thus also acedia) with French literature. Here's one good example.
In the introductory poem to Les Fleurs du mal, "Au lecteur," Charles Baudelaire invokes "l'Ennui" and laments its role as the ugliest and worst influence on society. We are human and prone to sin and wrongdoing, but Baudelaire claims that ennui is the ultimate danger. It may not seem like as evident a danger as things like murder and rape on the surface, but it lies beneath everything and threatens to undermine human relations. Baudelaire seems to indicate that it is the worst of the troubles that the devil has set upon society.
Read "Au lecteur" here (in the original French plus six different English translations).
Acedia and ennui are ideas that seem to come up time and time again in our society. We are so often dissatisfied with our lot in life that we detach from what's around us and continually ask ourselves, "What's the point?" Baudelaire's condemnation of ennui serves as a reminder that we have to care about and take interest in all aspects of society or else we'll never have any hope of getting beyond the other negative aspects of society. Ignorance isn't bliss; it's just a Band-Aid on a gaping wound - not good enough to heal anything.
diaphanous • \dye-AF-uh-nus\ • adjective
1 : of so fine a texture as to be transparent
2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal
3 : insubstantial, vague
Well, if I hadn't already talked about lace I might have used it here. It would certainly fit the definition.
The definition that inspired me was the second one, and I thought about les macarons. Delicious.
The picture above came from the Ladurée website, where you can also read a history of the macaron as it is known today.
There is often some confusion between macarons (the French pastries) and macaroons as we know them here. Macaroons as we know them are made with coconut and are usually kind of bumpy. Macarons are sandwiches made with cookies and fillings, and can be in any number of flavors. The best description of how a macaron should be can be found at Serious Eats. This site also tells you a little more about the history of the macaron before Ladurée.
Baking is generally very precise, but macarons require a high degree of delicacy and patience to come out just right. The flavor and texture are very important. Macarons aren't dense, but they are light and smooth. I don't know that I would have come up with diaphanous as an adjective for them on my own, but considering the definition I think it's appropriate.
****************************
acedia • \uh-SEE-dee-uh\ • noun
: apathy, boredom
The first thing I thought of was ennui, which is more or less a synonym of acedia. Ennui indicates the same kind of boredom, disinterest, and lack of motivation that acedia does, but it is also often linked to depression. I tend to associate the idea of ennui (and thus also acedia) with French literature. Here's one good example.
In the introductory poem to Les Fleurs du mal, "Au lecteur," Charles Baudelaire invokes "l'Ennui" and laments its role as the ugliest and worst influence on society. We are human and prone to sin and wrongdoing, but Baudelaire claims that ennui is the ultimate danger. It may not seem like as evident a danger as things like murder and rape on the surface, but it lies beneath everything and threatens to undermine human relations. Baudelaire seems to indicate that it is the worst of the troubles that the devil has set upon society.
Read "Au lecteur" here (in the original French plus six different English translations).
Acedia and ennui are ideas that seem to come up time and time again in our society. We are so often dissatisfied with our lot in life that we detach from what's around us and continually ask ourselves, "What's the point?" Baudelaire's condemnation of ennui serves as a reminder that we have to care about and take interest in all aspects of society or else we'll never have any hope of getting beyond the other negative aspects of society. Ignorance isn't bliss; it's just a Band-Aid on a gaping wound - not good enough to heal anything.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Purfle
purfle • \PUR-ful\ • verb
: to ornament the border or edges of
Purfle is such a fancy word. I immediately thought about this in terms of sewing, and frequently lace is attached to the edges of fabric to sort of dress it up. Lace is by no means solely a French thing, but I did associate it to some degree with France. So I did a little Googling, and I found a great site that shed some light on that. Here's what I found out:
"Two hundred kilometers west of Paris, in the Norman town of Alençon, a handful of women carry on a tradition begun more than four centuries ago. Here, at the Ecole Dentelliere, professional lace makers who use techniques devised in the 15th century painstakingly manufacture the "point d'Alençon," the most elaborate needlepoint lace made in France. Today, because of the high costs of manufacturing, it is considered a luxury lace, and the largest pieces are sold mainly as extravagant lingerie in high-fashion Paris shops, but point d'Alençon once enjoyed a more widespread popularity."
Lace has been popular in France since the 15th and 16th centuries. This site traces the rise in popularity back to Catherine de Medici, who was herself Italian but married Henri II and became a rather influential queen of France. Lace continued to be very popular among the nobility of France and its creation was sanctioned and supported by Louis XIV. Alençon was ranked first among the different producers of lace in the country because they were already that good. Alençon lace is known for its intricacy and is still considered exquisite today. I find this description very interesting:
"The creation of Alençon lace requires nine complex steps. In the traditional manner, almost every step is performed by a different lace maker, each with her own specialty. Final assembly of all pieces of the lace requires the skill of a senior lace maker. She must be an expert in all stitches and capable of blending the work of many hands into an apparently seamless whole."
Here is the website for the museum in Alençon: Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle
And here is a lovely picture:
Et voilà! :)
: to ornament the border or edges of
Purfle is such a fancy word. I immediately thought about this in terms of sewing, and frequently lace is attached to the edges of fabric to sort of dress it up. Lace is by no means solely a French thing, but I did associate it to some degree with France. So I did a little Googling, and I found a great site that shed some light on that. Here's what I found out:
"Two hundred kilometers west of Paris, in the Norman town of Alençon, a handful of women carry on a tradition begun more than four centuries ago. Here, at the Ecole Dentelliere, professional lace makers who use techniques devised in the 15th century painstakingly manufacture the "point d'Alençon," the most elaborate needlepoint lace made in France. Today, because of the high costs of manufacturing, it is considered a luxury lace, and the largest pieces are sold mainly as extravagant lingerie in high-fashion Paris shops, but point d'Alençon once enjoyed a more widespread popularity."
Lace has been popular in France since the 15th and 16th centuries. This site traces the rise in popularity back to Catherine de Medici, who was herself Italian but married Henri II and became a rather influential queen of France. Lace continued to be very popular among the nobility of France and its creation was sanctioned and supported by Louis XIV. Alençon was ranked first among the different producers of lace in the country because they were already that good. Alençon lace is known for its intricacy and is still considered exquisite today. I find this description very interesting:
"The creation of Alençon lace requires nine complex steps. In the traditional manner, almost every step is performed by a different lace maker, each with her own specialty. Final assembly of all pieces of the lace requires the skill of a senior lace maker. She must be an expert in all stitches and capable of blending the work of many hands into an apparently seamless whole."
Here is the website for the museum in Alençon: Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle
And here is a lovely picture:
Et voilà! :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
linkage!
I put this article up on Facebook a while back, but I thought I would share it here too...
New lingua franca upsets French
That the French resent the global supremacy of the English language is nothing new, but as Hugh Schofield finds out, a newly evolved business-speak version is taking over.
New lingua franca upsets French
That the French resent the global supremacy of the English language is nothing new, but as Hugh Schofield finds out, a newly evolved business-speak version is taking over.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Whipsaw
whipsaw • \WIP-saw\ • verb
1 : to saw with a whipsaw
2 : to beset or victimize in two opposite ways at once, by a two-phase operation, or by the collusive action of two opponents
I think that for most of us, the first image to come to mind was that of two men holding either end of a whipsaw to cut a giant log. Thus, I thought of this:
They come from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, one of the few games I was any good at on the Super Nintendo. But I digress....
Every conflict has two sides, whether they are two people, two countries, or just two ideas. Whipsaws are two-sided objects, needing two people to make them work. However, those two people are using their force to enable a sharp-edged object to cut something else in two - an act of violence, even when it's just a saw on a log. All too often conflicts are mired in violence, and now is no exception. Martinique and Guadeloupe, two French islands in the Caribbean, are on strike at the moment, demanding higher wages to offset the high cost of living. Protests are becoming violent and destructive. Things were formerly worse in Guadaloupe in terms of the level of violence, but as recently as 6-7 hours before this post was made, negotiations seemed to be showing some progress (though the strike is still on as of now). Martinique is still in turmoil (article in French). In what way is this a whipsaw situation? Not only is there effectively a tug of war between the two sides attempting to find an end to this strike, one way or the other, but the people living on these islands are being beset by the high cost of living that brought this on, the economic standstill that has been going on for 37 days, and the destruction, violence, and fear that has come about as a result of the protests. These two islands have relatively high unemployment rates in comparison to the rest of France, so the pressure is heightened by that as well.
To see a video about this situation (in English), click here.
This isn't a unique situation worldwide, of course. Here in the USA, and in other countries all over the world, economic issues are greatly affecting our daily lives, as we all know. I wasn't aware of this until very recently, yet it has been going on for over a month now. It's something to think about, though....
1 : to saw with a whipsaw
2 : to beset or victimize in two opposite ways at once, by a two-phase operation, or by the collusive action of two opponents
I think that for most of us, the first image to come to mind was that of two men holding either end of a whipsaw to cut a giant log. Thus, I thought of this:
They come from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, one of the few games I was any good at on the Super Nintendo. But I digress....
Every conflict has two sides, whether they are two people, two countries, or just two ideas. Whipsaws are two-sided objects, needing two people to make them work. However, those two people are using their force to enable a sharp-edged object to cut something else in two - an act of violence, even when it's just a saw on a log. All too often conflicts are mired in violence, and now is no exception. Martinique and Guadeloupe, two French islands in the Caribbean, are on strike at the moment, demanding higher wages to offset the high cost of living. Protests are becoming violent and destructive. Things were formerly worse in Guadaloupe in terms of the level of violence, but as recently as 6-7 hours before this post was made, negotiations seemed to be showing some progress (though the strike is still on as of now). Martinique is still in turmoil (article in French). In what way is this a whipsaw situation? Not only is there effectively a tug of war between the two sides attempting to find an end to this strike, one way or the other, but the people living on these islands are being beset by the high cost of living that brought this on, the economic standstill that has been going on for 37 days, and the destruction, violence, and fear that has come about as a result of the protests. These two islands have relatively high unemployment rates in comparison to the rest of France, so the pressure is heightened by that as well.
To see a video about this situation (in English), click here.
This isn't a unique situation worldwide, of course. Here in the USA, and in other countries all over the world, economic issues are greatly affecting our daily lives, as we all know. I wasn't aware of this until very recently, yet it has been going on for over a month now. It's something to think about, though....
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Girandole
Main Entry:
gir·an·dole
Pronunciation: \ˈjir-ən-ˌdōl\
Function: noun
Etymology: French & Italian; French, from Italian girandola, from girare to turn, from Late Latin gyrare, from Latin gyrus gyre
Date: 1749
1 : a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together) 2 : an ornamental branched candlestick 3 : a pendant earring usually with three ornaments hanging from a central piece
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Well, to be honest, this is the first thing I thought of: The Center of the Hollywood Universe. But that's not exactly relevant.
The second thing I thought of is something we probably all know or at least have heard at some point in our education.
"L'état, c'est moi." - Louis XIV of France
"Louis XIV chose the sun as his emblem. The sun was associated with Apollo, god of peace and arts, and was also the heavenly body which gave life to all things, regulating everything as it rose and set. Like Apollo, the warrior-king Louis XIV brought peace, was a patron of the arts, and dispensed his bounty. The regularity of his work habits and his ritual risings and retirings (levee and couchee) were another point of solar comparison. Throughout Versailles, decoration combines images and attributes of Apollo (laurel, lyre, tripod) with the king's portraits and emblems (the double LL, the royal crown, the sceptre and hand of justice). The Apollo Salon is the main room of the Grand Apartment because it was originally the monarch's state chamber. The path of the sun is also traced in the layout of the gardens."
(Louis XIV the Sun King)
King Louis XIV is known to the history books as the Sun King. As the "sun" he was in the middle of everything, and his gravitational pull kept everyone and everything under his control to some extent. The quote above outlines some of the sun imagery and symbolism as Louis XIV used it.
So how does this connect to girandole? If you look at the first definition, "a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together)", you might think of the arts. As the quote above mentions, Louis XIV was a great patron of the arts- everything from painting to theater. You can also take this to mean Versailles, which as a palace is nothing if not radiating and showy. I mean that in the best way possible. If you look at the second and third definitions, you get the idea of things branching out or dangling from a central piece. Think of Louis XIV's court, always kept around him at Versailles. They were the satellites to his sun. Without that central piece, there would be more conflict between those other pieces, but the central one regulates it all. At the time of his rule France was arguably the most powerful country in Europe, so you could even broaden that satellite metaphor out to Europe.
Was he the best king ever? Oh, probably not. With all the good things he did there were naturally plenty of downsides (not the least of which was his extravagant spending, a trend which continued straight on down to Louis XVI, and we all know how that turned out).
TRIVIA: French heels can be traced back to Louis XIV. Being rather short, he sometimes wore shoes with a higher heel to make himself appear taller. Click here, here, or here for a little more on this. You can see a famous example in the picture below.
Here's a video of some images of Louis XIV accompanied by some music of that time period (by Lully, a composer he supported). Look for the shoes! :)
gir·an·dole
Pronunciation: \ˈjir-ən-ˌdōl\
Function: noun
Etymology: French & Italian; French, from Italian girandola, from girare to turn, from Late Latin gyrare, from Latin gyrus gyre
Date: 1749
1 : a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together) 2 : an ornamental branched candlestick 3 : a pendant earring usually with three ornaments hanging from a central piece
***************************************
Well, to be honest, this is the first thing I thought of: The Center of the Hollywood Universe. But that's not exactly relevant.
The second thing I thought of is something we probably all know or at least have heard at some point in our education.
"L'état, c'est moi." - Louis XIV of France
"Louis XIV chose the sun as his emblem. The sun was associated with Apollo, god of peace and arts, and was also the heavenly body which gave life to all things, regulating everything as it rose and set. Like Apollo, the warrior-king Louis XIV brought peace, was a patron of the arts, and dispensed his bounty. The regularity of his work habits and his ritual risings and retirings (levee and couchee) were another point of solar comparison. Throughout Versailles, decoration combines images and attributes of Apollo (laurel, lyre, tripod) with the king's portraits and emblems (the double LL, the royal crown, the sceptre and hand of justice). The Apollo Salon is the main room of the Grand Apartment because it was originally the monarch's state chamber. The path of the sun is also traced in the layout of the gardens."
(Louis XIV the Sun King)
King Louis XIV is known to the history books as the Sun King. As the "sun" he was in the middle of everything, and his gravitational pull kept everyone and everything under his control to some extent. The quote above outlines some of the sun imagery and symbolism as Louis XIV used it.
So how does this connect to girandole? If you look at the first definition, "a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together)", you might think of the arts. As the quote above mentions, Louis XIV was a great patron of the arts- everything from painting to theater. You can also take this to mean Versailles, which as a palace is nothing if not radiating and showy. I mean that in the best way possible. If you look at the second and third definitions, you get the idea of things branching out or dangling from a central piece. Think of Louis XIV's court, always kept around him at Versailles. They were the satellites to his sun. Without that central piece, there would be more conflict between those other pieces, but the central one regulates it all. At the time of his rule France was arguably the most powerful country in Europe, so you could even broaden that satellite metaphor out to Europe.
Was he the best king ever? Oh, probably not. With all the good things he did there were naturally plenty of downsides (not the least of which was his extravagant spending, a trend which continued straight on down to Louis XVI, and we all know how that turned out).
TRIVIA: French heels can be traced back to Louis XIV. Being rather short, he sometimes wore shoes with a higher heel to make himself appear taller. Click here, here, or here for a little more on this. You can see a famous example in the picture below.
Here's a video of some images of Louis XIV accompanied by some music of that time period (by Lully, a composer he supported). Look for the shoes! :)
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