Our House is Definitely Not in Paris (32 page)

Chloe Brien; what a dedicated, extraordinary editor. You arrived at Melbourne Books at the perfect time in my life! Your commitment, enthusiasm and attention to detail are hugely impressive and enormously appreciated. To quote you directly from one of your many supportive emails: ‘I try my darnedest to make your life easier, as I imagine managing book contracts isn't easy.' And you most certainly do far more than your ‘darnedest'!
Très merci beaucoup
for helping to make books two and three positively sing!

Thank you also to Sally Naylor-Hampson, for her excellent fine-tuning of my manuscript.

The Independent Booksellers — for making the decision to print my first book, written while we were at our
petite maison
. Since we go ‘off the grid' while in Cuzance, opening that email on my return was an extraordinary moment in my life. To all the independent bookshop owners who were willing to stock my first book in print, thank you for being such an important part of this very exciting journey.

Très merci beaucoup
to Martin at Beanstalk Bookshop, Thirroul, for my first and second book launch. Merci encore to all my friends, neighbours, colleagues, students and their parents who attended. You all made me feel enormously special and so grateful to make the sea change from Newtown eight years ago and become part of such a wonderful community.

Lynette Bender, one of my oldest, dearest friends in the world.
Merci encore
for the perfection of your proofreading. What an eye for detail!
Merci
also for being one of my trusted first readers and for your tears of joy when I gave you a print copy of my first book.

All writers need their trusted friends as first readers, so thank you to my mumma and all your pride in my achievements. Julie Bass, Kerry Coleman, Helen Kidston, Ros Mahon, Kaitlyn Munro and Carly Taylor; to each of you,
très merci beaucoup
for your delight and elation in sharing not only my other French life, but also your enchantment with my writing.

Liane Pfister, fellow teacher librarian and much-loved
ami
. For your passionate publicity support — my radio interview, newspaper interviews, reviews, technology expertise and, of course, my superb first book launch at Beanstalk, Thirroul. Thank you enormously for helping me to achieve success.

The Hughes family, for taking care of little Henri each year we go to France.
Très merci beaucoup
not simply for taking care of Henri, but loving him as much as we do.

Très merci beaucoup
to all my readers, especially those who have somehow discovered my books and to those who have also made the time to write a review. Writing my third memoir made my heart sing knowing that there were readers already waiting to share my passion and delight for our superb French life. This book seemed to truly write itself; it seemed to flow and have a life of its own. During the frantic pace of our
rénovée
life, I would hastily scribble in my notebooks in fleeting moments, often in bed late at night, gazing at the stars and sky. At home in Australia, when I had typed up all my notebooks, I would frequently pause to look in wonder at the screen, at what I had somehow been able to capture, despite the sheer hard work of renovating.

Lastly, to my ‘library' children, past and present — thank you for the delight you have taken in my achievements. You fill my heart with happiness and make me feel like the luckiest teacher in the world.

And, of course, most of all to Stuey — listening to my chapters as I shared them, creating the map and glossary, checking all the French words and the photos — and, above all, thank you for our other amazing life.

Susan Cutsforth, December 2014

A

abricot
 - apricot

abricot hibou
 - apricot pastry

ami (e)
 -
 
friend

amuse-bouche
 -
 
bite-size hors d'oeuvre

andouillette
 -
 
French sausage

anniversaire
 -
 
anniversary/birthday

Août
 -
 
August

apéritif
 -
 
pre-dinner drink

après-midi
 -
 
afternoon

armoire
 -
 
wardrobe

artisan
 -
 
tradesman

assiette
 -
 
plates

au revoir
 -
 
goodbye

Australie
 -
 
Australia

autoroute
 -
 
motorway

B

baguette
 -
 
French bread stick

bain
 -
 
bath

bal
 -
 
honey

ballerine
 -
 
ballerina

bastide
 -
 
walled town

beau/beaux/bel/belle
 -
 
beautiful

beaucoup
 -
 
lots of/many

bébé
 -
 
baby

béret
 -
 
beret

beurre
 -
 
butter

bibliothèque
 -
 
library

bien
 -
 
good

bifteck
 -
 
beef steak

bise
 -
 
kiss

blanc
 -
 
white

bleu
 -
 
blue

bœuf
 -
 
beef

bois
 -
 
wood

boisson
 -
 
a drink

bon courage
 -
 
good luck

bon/bonne
 -
 
good

bonhomie
 -
 
good naturedness

bonjour
 -
 
hello

bonne nuit
 -
 
good night

bonne soirée
 -
 
have a good evening

bonsoir
 -
 
good evening

bouche
 -
 
mouth

bougie
 -
 
candle/spark plug

boulangerie
 -
 
bakery

boules
 -
 
bowls

bourg
 -
 
town

bricolage
 -
 
hardware shop

brioche
 -
 
sweet bun

brocante
 -
 
antique shop

brouette
 -
 
wheelbarrow

bureau
 -
 
desk or office

C

ça va?
 -
 
How is it going?/How are you?/I'm fine.

cadastre
 -
 
land register

cadeaux
 -
 
present/gift

café
 -
 
coffee or cafe

calcaire
 -
 
limestone

campagne
 -
 
the countryside

canard
 -
 
duck

canicule
 -
 
scorching heat

caramélisé
 -
 
caramelised

caravane
 -
 
procession

Carrefour
 -
 
a supermarket chain

carte
 -
 
card/map

cassoulet
 -
 
sausage and bean hotpot

castine
 -
 
fine gravel

cave
 -
 
cellar

centimes
 -
 
small denomination coin

cèpe
 -
 
edible wild mushroom

cerise
 -
 
cherry

chaise longues
 -
 
deckchair

chambre d'hôte
 -
 
bed and breakfast place

chapeau
 -
 
hat

charcuterie
 -
 
pork butcher's shop and delicatessen

chat
 -
 
cat

château
 -
 
castle

chaud
 -
 
hot

chaussures
 -
 
shoes

chemise
 -
 
shirt

chien
 -
 
dog

chocolatier
 -
 
chocolate maker

chou
 -
 
cabbage or sweetheart

cinq
 -
 
five

citron
 -
 
lemon

clafouti
 -
 
baked fruit dessert

cochon
 -
 
pig

coiffure
 -
 
hair style

combien
 -
 
How much...?

commune
 -
 
commune/district

complet
 -
 
complete

comprends
 -
 
understand

concours
 -
 
competition

confit
 -
 
preserved food

confiture
 -
 
jam

connards
 -
 
idiot

coucou
 -
 
colloquial hello

couleur
 -
 
colour

couper
 -
 
to cut

couture
 -
 
dressmaking

crème brûlée
 -
 
custard dessert

crème caramel
 -
 
a custard and caramel dessert

crêpe
 -
 
crepe

croix
 -
 
religious cross

cuisine
 -
 
kitchen

D

d'accord!
 -
 
Okay!/All right!

d'orage
 -
 
thunderstorm

dégustation
 -
 
tasting menu

déjeuner
 -
 
lunch

demain
 -
 
tomorrow

demi-kilo
 -
 
half a kilo

département
 -
 
French regional department

derrière
 -
 
behind

désolé
 -
 
sorry

deux
 -
 
two

dieu
 -
 
God

digestif
 -
 
after dinner drink/ liqueur

dîner
 -
 
dinner

dinette
 -
 
informal meal

dix
 -
 
ten

docteur
 -
 
doctor

droit
 -
 
right

E

école
 -
 
school

élan
 -
 
style

élevé
 -
 
noble/lofty/exalted

enchante
 -
 
delighted

encore
 -
 
again

enfant
 -
 
child

entrée
 -
 
appetizer

entretien
 -
 
maintenance of roads

escargot
 -
 
snail

espadrilles
 -
 
rope-soled sandal

Etam
 -
 
department store

été
 -
 
summer

euro
 -
 
European currency

excusez-moi
 -
 
excuse me

F

famille
 -
 
family

farci 
-
 
stuffed, as in stuffed tomatoes

farine
 -
 
flour

fatigue
 -
 
tired

fenêtre
 -
 
window

ferme auberge
 -
 
farm stay inn

fermier
 -
 
farmer

fête
 -
 
celebration

ficelle
 -
 
string

fin
 -
 
the end

fini
 -
 
finished

finissage
 -
 
finishing

flâneur
 -
 
person who strolls

fleurs
 -
 
flowers

flûte
 -
 
long loaf

foie gras
 -
 
duck or goose liver

forge
 -
 
blacksmith's forge

formule
 -
 
a set menu

fosse septique
 -
 
septic tank

fraîs, fraîche
 -
 
fresh, cool

fraise
 -
 
strawberry

frange
 -
 
fringe (hair)