I don’t think I’ll mention cabbage today… 
(but, yes, I do know it can be a term of endearment)
Yes, trop mimi (short for mignon/ne) used in response to a kind act, a sleeping baby fruitbat, that sort of thing. Can be slightly gnan I must admit if you aren’t a teenage girl (gnan: twee).
Il/elle/c’ est chou/trop chou all widely used, (less gnan than mimi). Corresponds to adorable or sweet, as in so sweet of you darling to make me that delicious cup of coffee, or look at the orange cat curled up in the clean laundry, isn’t she sweet. Or as my daughters say ‘the sweetest’: ‘la plus chou’
Mmm… I don’t think Jean -Philipe was being gnan… that would not be him at all… 
but he is not a local… and different areas certainly give us different phrases/usages.
Here’s another I use mostly with stagiaires, c’est jamais trop tard pour bien faire.
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A man will say trop chou or trop mimi for slightly humorous effect, it really is rather like squealing oooh the sweetness when you see your friend has made you some sparkly fairycakes for eating at break 
The man who did say it would be highly unlikely to say it to another man unless to be funny or demonstrate being down with da kidz
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I use that but I say “Il n’est” rather than “c’est”
Yes your right, brains not working this morning. (mais monsieur Warren, c’est trop chou ton accent & tes errors 
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Stella, I think that Brexit is more than a storm in a teacup.
It is a howling gale blowing through this household.
Here’s one I’ve heard a few old’ns say. Chacun chez soi et les vaches seront bien gardées
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Jane… today will be for short, smiling conversations… and by shrugging off Brexit (lying through my teeth)… I will hopefully manage to remain sane.
It will stop the conversation/inquisition dead in the water… 
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I have found that in our village people want to know how we will be affected, and they have all given their support to us, which makes us feel better.
Indeed, Jane. It is very heartwarming to know that so many folk are concerned for us. However, there is only so much Brexit chat that I can take… and having to explain the same thing, over and over to different folk at this sort of gathering… well, it is just not what I was looking forward to.
In the event… it was only a couple of people who mentioned the B word and then, only to say that they wished us well… phew.
Someone started on about The Queen and her family and the anguish she was feeling… 
To which I retorted, shortly but politely… that there is no way anyone outside a family can understand what is going on inside a family… and that I thought it was disgraceful, the way the whole thing was being over-blown by the Press.
Aha… that struck a chord… The Press… I was assured that The Press gave nothing but lies and distortion in France about France and everywhere else… (their feelings not mine)
so the conversation moved over to discussing all-things-French (much to my relief.)
And did you have a good meal ?
Absolutely delicious, thank you.
The diet starts tomorrow… (never today )
Thanks Stella at last someone who asks a real question
I recently learn some great phrases
A surprising one was the nick name more street warning for police “a ha “ with the emphasis on the ha exaggerated this was following the cry I enquired as to what was heard and some discussion among the mechanics in the near by garage my habit of touring towns on the local busses with a day pass has lead to eve dropping on locals to hilarious cinema keep up the challenge of phrases that dont translate as some just d’ont exist in the English language you just can’t translate concepts that, having two languages means two different thoughts patrick processes if feel ?
@PatrickMcGeough
Interesting question. What languages do you speak? What is your first language?
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English with in-diagnignosed dyslexia(confirmed) my arrival in Paris required zero french for work just numbers so that was easy and only confirmed my attitude my position to make no effort at do something that was impossible ie english and now frence. I also as I laissez with anglophones at work decided to not associate with any when off just my frence girlfriend.
Such postering attending weekly buddhist meeting many at our apt, and with groups of acquainted french people. Living in a cinema I loved the silence off listening interpreting my own thoughts, unconcerned, lost, and happy and later I noticed I was mimicking accents to myself, surprisingly one day releasing that i’de being amusing myself in this fashion. I’de being in france four years my girlfriends frind accustomed to my silences.
Low and behole one day realizing I spoke french fluently unlike a person who learnt frence I often spoke without understand what I was saying, knowing that in context, the french was perfect to convey the thoughts and contactually perfect however it contained all the nuances that french people use good and bad. regularly calling my bank to speak to the ‘mec’ responsible for my account until corrected.
French is a second acquired language that i dream in, if i spend to long there I confuse languages not knowing what language i speak in unless I stop and think as their automatic and there exists a wealth off accoutred verlang, french and idosims? that I couldnt translate but i know what they contuxalize, Vila know what is a beau-lue-zard is …patrick
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My 4-year-old grandson calls me Mimi. It started as MEME, went on to MooMoo, as his speech developed, and thank goodness moved on from there!
“Low and behole…” 
I totally loved this post. At first sight a bit of a glorious muddle, but full of joy and painted a lively, technicolour and chaleureux picture of an ? Irish mecs vie Parisienne 
