As part of an initiative to encourage British tourism in Paris, French gestures have been “revealed,” for what you would think was the first time ever. It seems practically every online newspaper has an article about this “guide to understanding Parisians,” and I can only laugh when I check the publication date on my original photo gallery of French gestures: February 2001. Not to mention the fact that I have a lot more than 8.
Language
The Story of French
Calling all French lovers – you have to read The Story of French. I can’t imagine the kind of dedication it must take to write such an informative and interesting book, but I’m definitely grateful to the people that did it. It’s a reference book on my favorite subject that reads more like a novel – I enjoyed it immensely.
Weather vs Whether
The words weather and whether have nothing in common other than their pronunciation, but English speakers are sometimes unsure which one to use. Find out whether you need to correct your spelling: Weather vs Whether
Laryngitis
It turns out I probably don’t have strep throat since I have developed laryngitis, and the two do not normally go together. Laryngitis is a funny thing – my voice was scratchy on Friday, completely gone yesterday, and is very hoarse today – which I guess means it’s getting better, but I still feel awful. Here are some interesting things I’ve discovered about laryngitis:
- When you whisper, kids will whisper back
- I shouldn’t even be whispering, as according to the Mayo Clinic, whispering puts more of a strain on the vocal cords than talking
- My French R is completely unaffected
Time to drink my 4,391st cup of tea.
Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal won the Socialist party nomination yesterday, making her an official candidate for the French presidential elections, the first round of which will be held in April. If elected, Ms. Royal would be the first female French president.
The Age: Populist “Sego” gets Royal assent from France’s left
Everyday vs Every Day
Everyday and every day are commonly confused in English; though there’s no difference in pronunciation, mixing them up is definitely wrong when you write: Everyday vs Every Day