Talk Dirty French: Beyond Merde: The curses, slang, and street lingo you need to Know when you speak francais [Paperback]

Alexis Munier (Author), Emmanuel Tichelli (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1598696653 | ISBN-13: 978-1598696653 | Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Can't quite come up with the right French quip or four-letter word? With Talk Dirty: French, you'll be able to put your (middle) finger on it. Each entry provides an individual foreign gem, a useful French sentence employing the word, the expression's English counterpart, and its literal translation, comme ?a:

Whether you're a native-speaker, world traveler, or just looking to tell off those brash Parisians, these naughty words and risqu? slang will surely give your tongue a French twist.

Les couilles: the balls
French Expression: Je l'ai avertie-elle ne m'a pas ?coute alors maintenant je m'en bats les couilles.
Translation: I warned her-she didn't listen to me so now I'm washing my hands of it.
Literal Translation: I warned her-she didn't listen to me so now I'm flapping my balls of it.

Alexis Munier relocated to Europe in her mid-twenties and began teaching English at world-renowned language schools in Russia, Slovenia, and Italy. Now a writer, English teacher, and translator, Munier still finds time to perfect her French slang and swoon from her Swiss husband's flattery now and again. She lives in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Emmanuel Tichelli hails from a small town in French-speaking Switzerland, a country with four official languages. Growing up in a feisty French/Italian family, he learned the power of persuasive language at a young age. Tichelli argued with his parents in French, he spoke German at school, watched American TV, and hit on every Italian lady he met, in her native tongue. He lives in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alexis Munier has taught English at world-reowned language schools across Europe. Now as a writer she still finds time to perfect her French slang! Emmanuel Tichelli hails from a small town in French-speaking Switzerland, a country with four official languages: French, Italian, German and Romansh. Growing up in a feisty French/Italian family, he learned the power of persuasive language at a young age!

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598696653
• ISBN-13: 978-1598696653
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > French
  • #90 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > French

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, and not too dirty!, January 12, 2009

By 

Phelps Gates (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Talk Dirty French: Beyond Merde: The curses, slang, and street lingo you need to Know when you speak francais (Paperback)

This is a very handy guide to colloquial French. Most of us in the US, I suspect, learn a rather formal version of the language, which can leave us puzzled at crucial moments, either while in France or while trying to understand what the characters in a movie are really saying behind the subtitles. The book isn't really that dirty, in spite of the title. Most of it deals with quite inoffensive slang and colloquialisms. The section on "verlan" or reversed-syllables (see the Wikipedia article on it) was especially interesting and revealing. After three years of French and a summer in Geneva, I had no idea this even existed!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dirty French is clean fun!, July 20, 2008

By 

Stephanie Horne-brooks "Stephanie B." (Lubbock, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Talk Dirty French: Beyond Merde: The curses, slang, and street lingo you need to Know when you speak francais (Paperback)

This book is a true MUST for the lovers of the French language! You need to have an open mind, a good basic knowledge of French and this book will help you to prepare your speech for fun or for a travel abroad. I found that the use of the book enhanced my vocabulary, and was easy to follow. I could use my Dirty French is public, or I can use it in France. (which I did and I was met with stares of "wow, she has studied")