James Boïelle

“ Ce qui réussit est toujours approuvé; what meets with success always meets with approbation. C’est ce que je disais; it is what I said. Ce que j’ai vu de beau; the fine things I saw. Tout ce qu’on fait de mauvais; all the mischief that is done. Savez-vous à quoi il pense? do you know what he is thinking of?
ce qui or ce que, serve for two verbs, the latter of which, when ce begins the sentence, is governed by ce: if the latter verb is être, followed by que or de, ce must be repeated before it. Ce que je crains, c’est d’être surpris; what I fear is to be surprised. ”

“ Il arrive tous les jours que; it happens every day that. Il lui est arrivé de dire; he happened to say. D’où il est arrivé que; whence it came to pass that. S’il arrive que vous ayez besoin de moi; if you should chance to want me. Quel malheur en peut-il arriver; what mischief can it entail? Quoi qu’il arrive; come what may. Qu’en arrivera-t-il? what will be the consequence, or the upshot? Cela ne m’arrivera plus; I will never do so again. Un malheur n’arrive jamais seul; misfortunes never come singly. ”

“ À beau jeu, beau retour; one good turn deserves another. Donner beau jeu à quelqu’un; to give any one good cards, to give any one fair play. Avoir beau jeu; to have good cards, to have fair play. Prendre sa belle; to seize the opportunity. Faire un beau coup; to make a lucky hit. Une belle âme; a lofty soul. Il fait beau se promener aujourd’hui; it is fine weather for walking to-day. Il en fait de belles; he is going on at a fine rate, playing fine tricks. Il m’en a compté de belles; he told me a lot of lies. Il m’en a compté de belles sur votre compte ”

“ Il est — comme l’épée qu’il porte; he is as true as steel. Il n’est — qu’en paroles; he is only brave as far as words go. Un homme —; an honest man. Vous voilà bien — aujourd’hui; how smart you are to-day. C’est un — homme; he is an honest, worthy fellow. ”

“ Ma montre s’arrête; my watch stops. Il s’arrête, la mémoire lui manque; he hesitates, his memory fails him. Il ne faut pas s’arrêter à ce qu’il dit; one must not mind what he says. Vous vous arrêtez à des riens; you stop at trifles. ”

“ Qui dort, dîne; sleeping is as good as eating. Il dort comme une marmotte or comme un sabot; he sleeps like a top. Il n’y a point de pire eau que l’eau qui dort; still waters run deep. — sur les deux oreilles; to sleep soundly. Qui a renommée de se lever matin peut — jusqu’à midi; a good reputation covers a multitude of sins. ”

“ C’est à qui parlera; they vie with one another as to who shall speak. C’était à qui s’offrirait; they vied with one another as to who would offer himself. Ce serait pour moi un grand plaisir; it would give me great pleasure. Ce n’est pas qu’il la craigne, mais il aime la paix; not that he fears her, but he loves peace. Ces malheureux ne savent ce que c’est que la vertu ”

“ Que lui faut-il pour sa peine? how much must he have for his trouble? Faites cela comme il faut; do that properly, well. Il fait ce qu’il faut; he does what is requisite. Des gens comme il faut; well-bred people. Un homme comme il faut; a gentlemanly man. C’est l’homme qu’il faut; he is the very man for the place or for the work. Il se vante de ne pas me craindre, il faudra voir! he boasts that he does not fear me, but wait a bit! Il me menace d’un procès, c’est ce qu’il faudra voir! he threatens me with an action, but we shall see about it!
s’en falloir, v.r., to be wanting; to be far ”

“ It was obvious, of course, that a very great deal would have to be done to bring up to date a dictionary of a living language that is ever growing, and in which new words and new meanings of words are being coined almost daily. ”

“ Q has the hard sound of k, as in the English word quaker. Whether initial or medial, q is always followed by u, which is not sounded except in a few words that are noticed in the course of this work.
R has the same sound as in English, but is articulated much more strongly, as in rivière, river. It is always sounded at the end of words, when preceded by the vowels a, i, o, u. In substantives, adjectives, and verbs ending in er, it is silent, unless it is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or h mute, as in dernier ouvrage, which is pronounced dernié-rouvraj. ”

“ L’amour l’emporte souvent sur la raison; love often gets the better of reason. Il l’a emporté sur tous ses concurrents; he triumphed over all his competitors. Cette considération l’emporte sur toutes les autres; that consideration outweighs every other. — ses cliques et ses claques; to pack up bag and baggage. — la pièce; to strike home.
s’emporter, v.r., to fly into a passion; to declaim, to inveigh against; to rail at; to run away (of horses) . — contre le vice; to declaim against vice. — comme une soupe au lait; to take fire like gunpowder. ”

“ La belle plume fait le bel oiseau; fine feathers make fine birds. Déchirer à belles dents; to criticize mercilessly, to rend any one. Il fera beau quand j’y retournera; it will be a long day before I go there again. Être dans de beaux draps; to be in a pretty pickle. ”

“ Il en donne à tout le monde; he makes a fool of everybody. Je donne beaucoup au hasard; I attribute a good deal to chance. Donner à boire; to give to drink. Donnez-nous à manger; give us something to eat. ”

“ La voix de la raison ne se consulte jamais; the voice of reason is never listened to.
consulteur, n.m., counselor, adviser.
consumant, -e, adj., consuming, devouring, burning.
consumer, v.a., to consume; to destroy; to wear out or away; to squander, to waste, to spend. Le temps consume toutes choses; time wears out everything. Cette maladie le consume; that disease is wearing him to nothing.
se consumer, v.r., to decay, to waste away, to wear out; to ruin one’s self; to undermine one’s health; to waste one’s strength. Il se consume d’ennui; he is wasting away with weariness. ”

“ Prenez garde à vous, il vous attrapera; look to yourself, he’ll take you in. Il en a attrapé de plus fins que vous; he has taken in more cunning people than you are. Attrape qui peut; scramble for it. Attrapé! caught! Il a attrapé un bon bénéfice; he has got a good living. — un rhume; to catch a cold. — un coup; to get a blow. — quelqu’un sur le fait; to catch any one in the act. ”

“ Il fait bien ses affaires; he is getting on well. — une chambre; to clean a room. — la couverture; to turn down the bed. — les foins; to make hay. — la moisson; to get in the harvest. Que ferez vous de votre fils? what will you do with your son? Il est fait au chaud et au froid; he is used to heat and cold. Les affaires font les hommes; business makes men. Que faites-vous aujourd’hui? what are you going to do to-day? Je n’ai rien à faire; I have nothing to do. Je n’ai que — de lui; I do not want him. Je n’ai que — de lui ni de ses visites ”

“ Ce qu’il demande, c’est une pension; what he asks for is a pension. [But ce cannot be repeated when être is followed by an adjective.] Ce qu’on vous a dit est vrai; what you have been told is true. Ce qu’on vous a dit, ce sont des contes; what you have been told are mere idle tales. C’était un grand capitaine que César; Cæsar was a great captain. Sont-ce les richesses qui vous rendront heureux? can riches make you happy? C’est moi qu’on veut perdre; I am the man they wish to ruin. ”

“ Un argument —; an irrefutable argument.
brûler, v.a., to burn, to consume by fire, to cauterize; to parch, to scorch, to blast, to scar, to swelter. — de fond en comble; to burn to the ground. — la cervelle à quelqu’un; to blow any one’s brains out. Son style brûle le papier; his style is full of fire. — de l’encens devant quelqu’un; to flatter any one excessively. — une étape; to pass a halting-place without stopping. — le pavé; to dash along at full tilt. — ses vaisseaux; not to go back.
brûler, v.n., to burn, to be on fire; to be all in a flame. Les mains lui brûlent; his hands burn. ”

“ Le bien cherche le bien; money begets money; money flies to money; deep calls to deep.
chercheu-r, n.m., -se, n.f., seeker, searcher, inquirer. — de franches lippées; spunger.
chère, n.f., cheer, entertainment, fare; reception. Bonne —; junketing. Homme de bonne —; a man who likes good living. Faire bonne —; to live well. Faire maigre —; to live poorly. Ne savoir quelle — faire à quelqu’un; not to know how to welcome any one enough. Il n’est — que d’appétit; hunger is the best sauce. Il n’est — que de vilain; there is nothing like a miser’s feast. Faire — de prince à quelqu’un ”

“ Il prend — à un sou; he looks at a penny. Ne prenez pas — à moi; do not mind me. Il m’offense sans y prendre —; he offends me without meaning it. Se donner de — de quelqu’un, de quelque chose; to be on one’s guard against any one, anything. S’en donner jusqu’à la —; to go the whole hog. Être hors de —; to be completely ignorant of an affair. N’avoir — de faire une chose; to be far from doing a thing; not to be fool enough to do a thing; to be unable to do a thing. Mon chien est de bonne —; mine is a good watch-dog. Il n’a — de tromper, il est trop honnête homme ”

“ Brebis —es; lost sheep.
égarement (é-gar-mān) , n.m., straying, losing one’s way; mistake, error; wildness (of the look) ; disorder, ill-conduct, excess, frenzy, bewilderment. — d’esprit; mental alienation.
égarer, v.a., to mislead, to misguide; to bewilder; to impair (intellect) ; to lead astray, to lead into error; to mislay. — quelque chose; to mislay anything.
s’égarer, v.r., to lose one’s way, to stray; to err; to mistake; to be led into error; to go astray; to ramble; to lose one’s self. Il s’est égaré de son chemin; he has lost his way. Il s’égara dans la forêt ”

“ À bon — bon rat; set a thief to catch a thief; tit for tat; diamond cut diamond. — échaudé craint l’eau froide; a burnt child dreads the fire. La nuit tous les —s sont gris; when candles are away all cats are grey. Il n’y a pas là de quoi fouetter un —; it is a mere trifle. N’éveillez pas le — qui dort; let sleeping dogs lie. Acheter — en poche; to buy a pig in a poke. Se servir de la patte du — pour tirer les marrons du feu; to make a cat’s-paw of anyone. Il n’y a pas un —; there is not a living soul there. Le — parti, les souris dansent; when the cat’s away the mice will play. ”

“ Vous n’y gagnerez rien; you will gain nothing by it. — une bataille; to gain a battle. — un pari; to win a bet. — la partie; to win the game. — son procès; to win one’s case. Je n’ai pu — cela sur lui; I could not prevail upon him to do that. — quelqu’un; to win any one’s money (at play) . — quelqu’un; to draw, to win, any one over. — la contrescarpe; to carry the counterscarp. J’y gagnai une pleurésie; I caught pleurisy there. — un rhume; to catch a cold. La faim me gagne; I am beginning to feel hungry. La nuit nous gagnera; night will overtake us. ”

“ Il n’entend pas la raillerie; he is no hand at jokes. — la messe, — les vêpres; to attend mass, vespers. Il entend bien son métier; he knows his trade very well. Cet homme n’entend rien aux affaires; that man knows nothing about business. Qu’entendez-vous par là? what do you mean by that? Chacun fait comme il l’entend; everybody does as he thinks proper. ”

“ The Imperfect of the Indicative, the Conditional, the Imperative, and the Imperfect of the Subjunctive, are wanting in this Table. These four tenses are formed as follows:—
The imperfect of the indicative is regularly formed from the present participle by changing ant into ais, as: parl-ant, je parl-ais; finiss-ant, je finiss-ais, &c.
The conditional has always the same root as the future; so that the first person of the future being known, it is easy to form the conditional, as: je parlerai, je parlerai-s; je finirai, je finirai-s. ”

“ Il est — de sa condition; he is contented with his lot. Avoir le visage —; to look pleased. Être —; to be willing, to be satisfied. Être — de quelqu’un; to be pleased with any one. Il est bien — de lui-même; he has a great idea of himself.
content, n.m. Tout son —; one’s fill; all one wants, as much as one likes.
contentement (kon-tant-mān) , n.m., content, contentment, satisfaction; comfort, pleasure; blessing. — passe richesse; enough is as good as a feast.
contenter, v.a., to content, to give satisfaction, to satisfy; to please, to gratify, to indulge, to humor. ”

“ T is generally pronounced before a vowel, except when it is preceded by a sounded consonant, as in effort étonnant, pronounced é-for-éto-nan; in quatre-vingt-un it is not pronounced, but it is sounded in vingt et un. In all plural nouns, and in the conjunction et; also before a vowel in fort, adjective, it is silent, but it is sounded in fort, adverb. Final t is also sounded in brut, déficit, dot, mat, exact, fat, infect, intact, net, rapt, subit, tact, toast, transit, zénith, etc. It is not heard in Jésus-Christ, though it is sounded in le Christ. ”

“ Il est toujours — moi; he is always after me, always teasing, persecuting, scolding me. Être — quelque chose; to be in pursuit of something. On est —; it is being done. Soupirer — quelque chose; to long for anything. Ne pas attendre — quelqu’un; not to need, to be able to do without any one. — lui, il faut tirer l’échelle; no one can come after him. — coup; too late. Crier — quelqu’un; to scold anybody. Tout le monde crie — lui; everybody cries out against him. ”

“ Être embarrassé de sa personne; not to know what to do with one’s self. Que cela ne vous embarrasse point; do not trouble yourself about that. Cette question l’a embarrassé; that question puzzled him. Il est embarrassé de répondre; he is at a loss for an answer. — une rue; to obstruct a street.
s’embarrasser, v.r., to entangle one’s self, to be embarrassed, entangled; to be solicitous about, to concern one’s self with; (med.) to be affected. Il ne s’embarrasse de rien; nothing ever troubles him. ”

“ Un homme de bonne —; a good-looking man. Cela n’a ni mine ni —; that has neither grace nor shape. En donner de la bonne — à quelqu’un; to give a good hiding or talking to. S’en donner de la bonne —; to go on at a fine rate; to refuse one’s self nothing. ”

“ La vérité est l’— de l’histoire; truth is the life of history. La bonne foi est l’— du commerce; honesty is the very soul of trade. Il n’y a point d’— dans sa déclamation; his delivery is spiritless. Il est l’— damnée du ministre; he is the minister’s tool. Rendre l’—; to give up the ghost. Il a l’— bourrelée; his conscience wracks him. Cet homme n’a point d’—; that man has no soul. Il n’y a pas d’— dans ce tableau; there is no life in this picture.
amélioration, n.f., amelioration, improvement, mending. ”

“ La faim le dévore; he is almost dying of hunger. Il a dévoré tout son bien; he has squandered away all his fortune. Il est dévoré d’ambition; he is consumed with ambition. — sa douleur; to stifle one’s sorrow. — un affront; to brook or pocket an affront. — les livres; to pore over, to read, books greedily. — quelqu’un des yeux; to gaze at eagerly, to stare at, to gloat over.
dévoreu-r, n.m., -se, n.f., devourer, glutton. ”

“ Qui deux choses chasse, ni l’une ni l’autre ne prend; (prov.) between two stools one falls to the ground. — le mauvais air; to ventilate. Ne pas — deux lièvres à la fois; not to have too many irons in the fire. Un clou chasse l’autre; one idea drives away another. ”

“ Au temps, par le temps, qui court; as times go nowadays. La monnaie qui court; current money. La mode qui court; the prevailing fashion. Le bruit court qu’il est mort; there is a report that he is dead. Il court bien des maladies; there is much illness about. — à l’autre bord; (nav.) to stand upon the other tack. — au large; to stand off. — à sa perte; to hasten to one’s ruin. — à l’hôpital; to be ruining one’s self. — aux armes; to fly to arms. — sur le marché de quelqu’un; to outbid any one. — à sa fin; to draw to an end. ”