Vive les S Trivia Quiz

Answer: sand

Un sablet is a cookie or biscuit with a shape cut into the top part and jam in the middle. You can find it most places in France. L'étable is a stable, but there are many variations.

Answer: a clog or hoof

The word "sabotage" is said to come from someone throwing their clog into the works of a factory. It is the basic word for horse's hoof as well. Many regions of France wear them, especially those with lots of rain and marshes such as the Berry in the centre.

Answer: sale

Sale means dirty so you'll see that written on the back of dirty trucks! "Je suis sale lave-moi!" Vendu is sold. Soudé, soldered.
Sales are very highly regulated in France, the dates are set by law.

Answer: a bra

Un soutien-gorge is literally to support the throat. Brassière is around the bras or arms literally, and the garment exists still for babies. Une camisole might be used for one type of undergarment, but it is used in "une camisole de force" to restrain people. Un supporter is the normal word used for fan or supporter. PS: hooligan is the word for hooligan, or as my son pronounced it, ooh lee gan.

Answer: deaf

Unfortunately when many people are irritable they cry out, "t'es sourd ou quoi?" Another expression is "cela ne tombe pas dans les oreilles d'un sourd" meaning it isn't falling on deaf ears. Smiling is souriant (e). Sword is une épée but there are many varieties. L'éscrime is fencing. Touché!

Answer: a pressure release valve

La soupape is used quite often, as most French use a pressure cooker extensively on an everyday basis. Also used in mechanics for valves. Une marmite is closer to the big kettle, see also the "fait-tout". "Un chaudron" is a cauldron.

Answer: a grasshopper

Sauter=to jump, corde à sauter is to jump rope, sautée, means you've made the things jump in the pan. A big "sauterelle" is a locust.

Answer: You're blowing out your candles on your birthday cake

Souffler = to blow, exhale, se moucher, faire un soufflé is to make a soufflé.

Answer: He likes to hunt wild boar (as opposed to the domestic variety)

Le sanglier takes up a great deal of Obelix' time, what's left from coveting the magic potion, but he's not allowed of course, as he fell in as a child. Se chausser = to put on shoes, to wear shoes. Rez de chaussée is ground floor or pavement.

Answer: You're sweating!

"Suer" is to sweat, transpirer is to perspire,. Faire un procès is to sue. Les égouts are the sewer and saigner is to bleed. Une sangsue is a bloodsucker or leach. Not sure why it's feminine!

Answer: a mouse

Une souris: mouse, even for your computer mouse. Note: Mickey mouse est "une" souris though he's obviously a guy. Un sourire: a smile, but "je souris" is "I smile" or "I'm smiling". Sorry is normally, "je suis désolée" or even very seldom "je suis navrée."
They do not say it every two words though.

Answer: a sigh

Soupir is to sigh, and the infinitive is used in C. Brown's French version in his thought bubble or "bulle". Un souper is a relatively old fashioned way of saying supper, not heard as much these days. Une soupe/ or de la soupe more often than not is soup. Une cuiller à soupe is a soup spoon.

Answer: firefighters (EMT)

The origin of the word is digging or breaking walls with a "zappa" or hoe from Italian as they were originally a military outfit who did this. Pompier, for the water pump of course. If you see 'l'art pompier' it's a derogatory word for the helmets they wore in Neo-Greek paintings that recalled firefighters shiny helmets. Plombier is a plumber, for once the origins are close, plomb means lead as the pipes were made of it. Un plombage is a filling in your tooth though..ew! And last but not least, the humble "pompiste" of which you don't see too many of them any more.

Answer: helpful, congenial

Someone who is always willing to help out others is "serviable". Several words for servile, some would say, "leche-bottes" or bootlicking. Some would go a step further. "Facile à l'emploi" is closer to easy to use, but ergonomique is being used quite a lot.

Answer: a bandaid (or plaster)

Un sparadrap is also known as un pansement, or what we'd call a dressing. Un drap de dessus is a top sheet. Un gilet de sauvetage is a lifejacket. Un rideau is a curtain. It's curtains for me! Merci!