Confusing French!

Easier for my elderly brain to stick with tried and tested phrases …
I’d say… "J’ai plus de cinq euros dans ma poche… "

would that cause a difficulty in understanding???

Oh dear - now I’ve got confused again - I thought the “s” was pronounced when it was positive and not when it was negative - have I got that the wrong way round?

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:rofl: :rofl: I pronounce it when positive… even when it’s obvious that it is positive… which is what @Vero has advised…

So if I don’t hear the “s” of “plus”… I would query what exactly the person meant. Locals are used to me double checking… and with strangers, it’s another way of breaking the ice… They do understand how a foreigner can become confused… to S or not to S that is the question… :rofl:

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What a funny coincidence, we were watching an old episode of Riva this evening and guess what one of the guys said !
1min 14:32

I am not sure what the thing about Agen and à jeun was about. I do not think that was anything I said, it rings no bells.

It’s pronounced if it’s positive and not if it’s negative. The exception that proves the rule is when it’s followed by “de”.

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No it wasn’t, sorry, bad tagging

The cendres is what is left over after burning/pyrolysis - the weight or percentage of “cendres” is an indication of the quality of the flour because the fewer “cendres” there are, the higher the starch content of the flour composition.
Les cendres - Chopin Technologies).

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Here in the SW they pronounce things fairly weirdly to my ears (I come from the SE but have a neutral to me, Parisian to people here, accent) eg they pronounce the s at the end of ‘moins’ and many actually say ‘quinquin’ when they say quelqu’un.

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I got into difficulties today. We had some French friends round for a (rather prolongued - I am exhausted) lunch and I hit against one of my standard fproblems when talking about some family dynamics. I know that I can’t use contrôler, tempting though it might be but the various words offered didn’t give the same idea at all. Looking at the dictionary, régenter look like a possible - what do you think @vero?

I wanted to say that this particular chap tries to control every member of his family or was very controlling. Dominer was another possibiliy I thought, but it’s not quite the same…

Un manipulateur? Or de l’emprise perhaps, but might be a bit strong and really describes total control.

I describe my BIL as a “personne toxique”.

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Emprise is a new word to me - and an interesting one - so thank you Jane!

I don’t think manipulateur gives quite the right sense since this chap dominates rather than manipulates… :thinking:

Un tyran?

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guilty (moinS) also all the other bog standards in the SW; poche, malle, chocolatine etc.

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You can actually use “il veut tout contrôler” or “il veut contrôler tout le monde”.

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Il veut tout dominer/gerer/régir/garder sous son emprise/avoir la main sur tout le monde/Il faut que ça soit lui qui commande/qui contrôle tout

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Well that lot give me a nice choice! Thank you very much @vero :smiley:

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Aaaaannd a positive Covid test in the family has scuppered that, as well as the trip to France.

:rage:

Oh dear… hope it ends well…

Well, we definitely can’t come to France for the half term - even if the currently asymptomatic family member stays that way and even if the rest of us escape we still won’t meet the “no contact with a positive case for 14 days” part of the entry requirements.

As for the parcel - I’ll try plan B and see if an emailed copy of my passport will allow my neighbour to collect it on my behalf.

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Perhaps another phone call to your post office… she knows the situation and will probably/possibly be quite happy to OK you to proceed with the PPort copy thingy… or she might make another suggestion… give her the chance anyway.

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