Chris B aka Premium James relaunching St. Barts Talk Forum

[JimD]

andy doesn't like french used on sbhonline

Qu'il aille se faire cuire un oeuf

 

[cassidain]

Qu'il aille se faire cuire un oeuf

:up:

 

[Bart -my real name-]

andy doesn't like french used on sbhonline

None of us do.

 

[andynap]

None of us do.

Well maybe 99 percent

 

[Islander]

I think you're way off. Most SBH visitors (and members of sbhonline) are francophiles. Why would you be so passionate about the island of St Barths without showing interest in the language? The French language is the base of the island culture, lifestyle and tradition.

 

[JEK]

I agree. I'm a slow learning student who has improved by reading Le News on a daily basis. Many of us have even taking course on or off the island. I see it as a sign of respect for the rich culture.

 

[cassidain]

j'ai appris deux nouvelles expressions françaises dans ce fil ! merci, jimd

 

[stbartshopper]

I believe only multi year contracts are offered with a large chunk guaranteed and tons of sponsorships available!

 

[Islander]

"N'importe nawak" is not exactly a proper expression (assuming this is one of them). Street talk. "nawak" meaning "quoi".

"Aller se faire cuire un oeuf" is definitely proper! Meaning literally: "Go cook yourself an egg"... -> Une façon gentille de dire à quelqu'un d'aller se faire voir ailleurs. (I believe English language has a shorter version).

 

[cassidain]

best i can determine:
nawak = portninwak = portnawak = n'importe quoi = n'importe nawak (expression redondante)

 

[stbartshopper]

it is all "Greek" to me!

 

[cassidain]

it is all "Greek" to me!

actually pig latin...er, verlan.

Verlan is a form of French slang that consists of playing around with syllables, kind of along the same lines as pig Latin. Unlike pig Latin, however, verlan is actively spoken in France. Many verlan words have become so commonplace that they are used in everyday French.

To "verlan" a word, simply separate it into syllables, reverse them, and put the word back together. In order to maintain the correct pronunciation, the verlaned word often undergoes some spelling adjustments.
Unnecessary letters are dropped, while other letters are added to make pronunciation logical. There are no real rules for this; it's just something to be aware of. Note that not every word can or should be verlaned; verlan is used essentially to emphasize or hide the meaning of the main word(s) in a sentence.

Let's start with the word l'envers, which means "the reverse." Separate l'envers into its two syllables l'en and vers. Invert them, put them together into a single word, and then adjust the spelling:

l'envers... l'en vers... vers l'en... versl'en... verslen... verlen... verlan

Thus, you can see that verlan is l'envers pronounced à l'envers ("reverse" pronounced in reverse).

Let's try another example:

pourri... pou rri... rri pou... rripou... ripou

Most single-syllable words are just pronounced backwards.

fou > ouf
cool (from English) > looc

 

[cassidain]

#1 I'm a slow learning student...
#2 Many of us have even taking course on or off the island.

#1 - i doubt that
#2 - try a native speaker private tutor. i have a very pretty suissesse who helps me ramp up a few months before trips. a good way to locate one: https://www.wyzant.com

 

[Islander]

Is the fact that the private tutor is "very pretty" of any help as far as the learning process is concerned?

 

[cassidain]

Is the fact that the private tutor is "very pretty" of any help as far as the learning process is concerned?

well, i've had a few guys and a couple of girls over the years...one rather plain (une jurassienne) and one very pretty. they've all been effective, but i like pretty. don't you ?

 

[stbartshopper]

James and Vincent are tops! For those of you new to the Forum and looking for help to do anything on the island from throwing a party anywhere to being whisked throughout the airport, James and Vincent will make it all seem like a dream!

 

[JEK]

A thread from 2016 that somehow came to mind today. May explain a few things, or may confuse.

 

[cec1]

Funny blast from the past!

 

[amyb]

So nice to see a smiling moderator Tim in his avatar from days of yore. Gee,time flies by..this was 2016.

 

[elgreaux]

actually pig latin...er, verlan.

Verlan is a form of French slang that consists of playing around with syllables, kind of along the same lines as pig Latin. Unlike pig Latin, however, verlan is actively spoken in France. Many verlan words have become so commonplace that they are used in everyday French.

To "verlan" a word, simply separate it into syllables, reverse them, and put the word back together. In order to maintain the correct pronunciation, the verlaned word often undergoes some spelling adjustments.
Unnecessary letters are dropped, while other letters are added to make pronunciation logical. There are no real rules for this; it's just something to be aware of. Note that not every word can or should be verlaned; verlan is used essentially to emphasize or hide the meaning of the main word(s) in a sentence.

Let's start with the word l'envers, which means "the reverse." Separate l'envers into its two syllables l'en and vers. Invert them, put them together into a single word, and then adjust the spelling:

l'envers... l'en vers... vers l'en... versl'en... verslen... verlen... verlan

Thus, you can see that verlan is l'envers pronounced à l'envers ("reverse" pronounced in reverse).

Let's try another example:

pourri... pou rri... rri pou... rripou... ripou

Most single-syllable words are just pronounced backwards.

fou > ouf
cool (from English) > looc

t'est très ché=bran, en parlant de verlan...