Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus: The User-Friendly Guide to French Slang and Idioms [Paperback]

Ian Pickup (Author), Rod Hares (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0658004174 | ISBN-13: 978-0658004179 | Publication Date: April 30, 2002 | Edition: 1

2,000 "streetwise" expressions put the fun into learning French

The student of French who is câblé (cabled--switched on) will be aux ange (with the angels--over the moon) to discover this fascinating compendium of 2,000 current French colloquial expressions and slang. It features a wealth of exercises and examples as well as tips on where and when to use or not use certain expressions. It all adds up to a rare language tool: one that entertains as it expands vocabulary. Peppered with humorous illustrations by the French illustrator Luc Nisset-Raidon. Thirty-four A-to-Z categories and 130 subcategories with 2,000 terms and expressions, for example:

• Animals--cats, dogs, farmyard animals, wild animals, insects
• Business--banking, business titles, buying and selling, making a deal
• Clothes--fashion models, shoes, sportswear, underwear, vacation clothes
• Discourse, conversations--complaining, greetings, interrupting, saying good-bye

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French

From the Back Cover

Understand and speak French slang!

Add spark to your everyday casual conversation by learning how to use French slang and expressions appropriately. Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus gets you talking like you're cool without getting into hot water!

No more worries about embarrassing yourself or offending others. Find just the right expression instantly. Whimsical illustrations get the message across with laugh-out-loud humor.

Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus is a cinch to use for quick reference or browsing, featuring:

• More than 2,600 current terms and expressions
• A-Z thematic arrangement in 36 English themes and 157 subcategories
• Literal meanings, example sentences for context, and entertaining exercises to develop active vocabulary
• Helpful illustrations of more than 20 typical Gallic gestures
• French-English dictionary/index cross-references all 2,600 terms and expressions included in the thesaurus

Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus keeps you from being regarded as some clueless foreigner. If you're called la grosse légume (a big vegetable), you'll understand that it's a compliment (it means "VIP"). And you'll know that you have not a frog but a cat in your throat! "J'ai une chat dans la gorge."

Whether you're a student, tourist, or business traveler, whatever the topic of your conversation--be it art, health, sex, or work--Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus will have you comfortable using slang and talking like you're "with it" in no time at all.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0658004174
• ISBN-13: 978-0658004179
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,200,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Un livre bon de l'argot!, January 21, 2005

By 

Gerald Davis "Gerald Davis" (Melbourne, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus: The User-Friendly Guide to French Slang and Idioms (Paperback)

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. The layout is simple, well structured and the logical groupings of categories makes it easy for me (or anyone for that matter) to focus one what is most important to them. You may want to get other books if you want to go more in depth in a specific area innuendo sexual or otherwise for that matter, for example, but as a whole general review, Ce livre est tres bon!