Day 2273 (Tuesday) 29th August 2023

Today’s photo (just the one today)

This is the path around the citadel in Villefranche sur Mer.

Huw bought sone tarts for dessert last night and they were pretty special.

The weather was a bit unsettled today but I got a few hours on the balcony.

I also had a lovely birthday present from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law – a new jigsaw and I love it! The house on the box reminds of my sister-in-law’s house in Norfolk and she and her mother have green fingers too.

Huw has ordered a new box for the back of the scooter so it should be a lot more comfortable now and Badger went berserk playing in the box it arrived in. He put the old one on bon coin (good corner) to try to sell it and got a response almost immediately but the man lived too far away, during the correspondence he saw the abbreviation ‘dsl’ and learned that it means sorry – désolé, so this inspired me to learn some more.

French Texting Contractions, written by Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Since texting language is so popular, it’s now being part of the everyday French scene: you’ll find text abbreviations featured in ads, but this written language also sometimes affects spoken French.

For example, someone may say “Jé té Aim” to say I love you in French : pronouncing all the letters of the text message JTM… It has become a trend.

For foreigners, understanding this new language based on French pronunciation is a real challenge.

Here is a list of very common French texting abbreviations:

A+ = à plus tard = talk/see you soon

B1 = bien = good

bcp = beaucoup = a lot

bz = bise, bisou = kiss

c = c’est = it’s

ct = c’était = it was

dmd = demande or demander = ask or to ask

dsl = désolé(e0 = sorry

é = et ou est = and or is

frR = frère = brother

g = j’ai = I have

Jlé = je l’ai = I have it

J’tdr = je t’adore = I adore you

JTM = je t’aime = I love you (I’m in love with you)

ki = qui = who

keske = qu’est-ce que = what

keskec = qu’est-ce que c’est = what is it

koi = quoi = what

kom = comme = as

l = elle = she/it

l8 = lui = him

mdr = mort(e) de rire = LOL

mm = même = even

mnt = maintenant = now

ms = mais = but

msg = message

mwa = moi =me

nan = non = no

osi = aussi = too

pk = pourquoi? = why?

qd= quand = when

lkl = lequel, laquelle, lesquels, lesquelles = which one

qq1 = quelqu’un = someone

r1 = rien = nothing

slt = salut

sry = sorry (used in French by the young)

t = tes ou tu es = your or you’re

twa = toi = you

v1 = viens = come

vrmt = vraiment = truly

vs = vous = you

we = weekend

xlt = excellent = great

ya = il y a = there is, there are

French Numbers and signs are also used in texting in French to replace words

1 = un = a

2 = de = of, from, about

7 = cet or cette = this

9 = neuf = new

100 = sans = without

– = moins = minus, less

+ = plus = add, more

Together, these end up forming a real language.
Here are some examples

kekina = qu’est-ce qu’il y a? = what’s going on?

kestufé = qu’est-ce que tu fais? = what are you doing?

@2m1= à demain = see you tomorrow

j’tapLDkej’pe = je t’appelle dès que je peux = I call you as soon as I can

GT ché L = j’étais chez elle = I was at her place

cpab1 = c’est pas bien = it’s not good.

AT souè = à tes souhaits = bless you (when someone sneezes)

ta éT voir koi o 6né =  tu as été voir quoi au ciné ? = what did you see at the movies?

tu vi1 7 aprem = tu viens cet après-midi? = are you coming this afternoon?

LA fé 1 gato = elle a fait un gateau = she made a cake

and to finish – some more French idioms…

il faut souffrir pour être belle – no pain, no gain
Literal Translation: one has to go through pain to be beautiful

il n'y a pas un chat – nobody's here
Literal Translation: there isn't a cat
If you go to a danse club and it's empty, you might use this French idiom to tell your friends it's not worth going.

jeter l’argent par les fenêtres – to poor money down the drain
Literal Translation: to throw money out of the window

jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain – to throw the baby out with the bathwater
Literal Translation: to throw the baby away together with the bathwater

jeter l’éponge – to throw in the towel
Literal Translation: to throw the sponge away
As in English, this French idiom traces its origins to boxing. If a trainer feels their boxer should quit, they can throw in the sponge or the towel to concede the match. 

joindre les deux bouts – to make ends meet
Literal Translation: to join both ends