Wednesday, February 10, 2010

French words that have made it into my English vocabulary

So one of my favorite thing about learning a new language is learning the words that don't have equivalents in English, in part because it lets my language get more efficient and in part because it's a joy to finally have a word for all those things that I actually have to describe in English.

So here are three words that are making it into my English vocabulary.

Flaner - properly anglicized as "to flan" and "flanning" - it means to explore, to walk for the express purpose of seeing people and a new city but not for any specific site or purpose - all the 19th century moody poets did it, and I find I usually do it to. I like to explore new cities and to get purposely lost. But really, I'm just flanning.

Drageur - This is the asshole that wants to sleep with you. Or your friend. Or the girl on the other side of the room. He's not picky. But he woke up this morning with the express purpose of going home with a woman. He's also crass, rude, and forward. "Drageur" is a really insulting word for this kind of guy. So offensive that the majority of the time, if you get enough disgust in your voice and call him a "drageur," he catches on that not only is his attention unwanted, he's actually repulsive to you. It's a beautiful, useful word.

and finally...

Fanfaron / Fanfaronnade - This is for all the men with the cars with special paint jobs and their name across the top of the windshield, the skeeze bags with the greasy hair and bad music who do the head jerk and say "Hey baby." (My professor explained it like that, then added "You know, the Italians.") They also have no jobs and no visible means of support. (Scrubs, but sleezy ones.) The men are fanfarons, and I read Baudelaire use the word fanfaronnade, which I assume is like a skeezy promenade, but I don't honestly know.

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