katia and kyliemac learn french

Telling your brother that he is "con comme un balai" is equivalent to saying that he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer (and your mum might get cranky at you) - hear all about it show 69! Literal translation To be as stupid as a broom English equivalent To be as dumb as an ox He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer He's a stubby short of a six pack He's dumb as a box of rocks The light's are on but nobody's home He's as dumb as a post He's depriving a village somewhere of it's idiot French equivalent Bête comme ses pieds (stupid as his feet) Con comme la lune (dumb as a moon) Con comme une valise (dumb as a suitcase) être bête à manger du foin (to be stupid to eat hay) Frog's phrase Robert est beau, grand et fort... dommage qu'il soit con comme un balai. Translation Robert is handsome, tall and strong... pity he's as dumb as an ox.

The intriguing french expression "faire la Saint-Nitouche" means to act all innocent and much more, as you'll hear in show 68! Literal translation To do the Saint-No-Touch English equivalent To act innocent To play the innocent To act prudish To look as if butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth To act holier than thou French equivalent Jouer la Sainte-Nitouche Avoir des airs de Saint-Nitouche Frog's phrase Kyliemac, arrête de faire ta Sainte-Nitouche chaque fois que Katia jure pendant le podcast! Ohhhh! Translation Kyliemac, stop acting all prudish every time Katia swears on the podcast! Ohhhh!

"Avoir le cul bordé de nouilles" is apparently not as bad as it sounds in French, as you'll find out in show 67, and it actually means to be lucky! Literal translation To have the ass lined with noodles English equivalent To be extremely lucky To be a lucky bastard / bugger To be a lucky git To be a lucky devil To be a lucky duck To be sitting pretty To strike it lucky To luck out French equivalent Avoir beaucoup de chance Avoir de la chance Avoir du cul Avoir du bol Avoir du pot Avoir de la chatte Avoir de la veine Avoir de la moule Être veinard Avoir la baraka Frog's phrase Brigitte m'a annoncé qu'elle avait gagné au loto, et en plus qu'elle avait trouvé un billet de 500 euros par terre! Oh, elle a vraiment le cul bordé de nouilles! Translation Brigitte told me that she won the lottery, and what's more that she found a 500 euro note on the ground! She's really darn lucky!

"Être une poule de luxe" has multiple meanings, as you'll learn in Show 66, and can be used to describe a certain profession or to poke fun at someone. Literal translation To be a chicken of luxury English equivalent Meaning 1 : to be a high-class hooker Meaning 1 : to be a trophy wife Meaning 1 : to be a gold digger Meaning 2 : to be a fancy pants Meaning 2 : to have expensive taste Meaning 2 : to have champagne taste French equivalent Avoir des goûts de luxe Frog's phrase Kyliemac ne sort jamais du 16ème arrondissement, ne fréquente que des fils d'ambassadeurs, circule en Rolls Royce, porte une Rolex. Une vrai poule de luxe, en somme. Translation Kyliemac never leaves the 16th arrondissement, only goes out with Ambassador's sons, drives around in a Rolls Royce, wears a Rolex. She with expensive tastes, that one. (Note: depending on the tone of the speaker, this could also be interpreted as "she's a gold digger, that one..." or "she's a high-class hooker!")

"Excité comme une puce" : the perfect way to say that someone is over-excited! Learn exactly how to say it in show 65! Literal translation Excited as a flea English equivalent To be jumping for joy To be hyped up To be super-excited To be keyed up French equivalent Être agité Être excité Frog's phrase Chaque fois qu'il voit Katia & Kyliemac, Frog rentre en état d'hyperventilation. Il est excité comme un puce. Translation Every time he sees Katia & Kyliemac, Frog goes home hyperventilating. He is just super-excited.

Things are getting a little heated (and not in a good way)? In show 64 we teach you how to say that in French : "il y a de l'eau dans le gaz". Literal translation There is water in the gas English equivalent There's trouble in paradise Trouble is brewing There's trouble in the air There's tension in the air French equivalent Il y a de la dispute dans l'air Il y a de l'orage dans l'air Frog's phrase Depuis que Katia est tombée amoreuse de Sara Ramirez il y a de l'eau dans le gaz dans le Coffee Table Studio. Translation Since Katia fell in love with Sara Ramirez there has been tension in the air in the Coffee Table Studio.

We talk about a somewhat confounding yet extremely well-known French phrase in Show 63 (at least to those fans of French in Action) : "mystère et boule de gomme". Literal translation Mystery and ball of eraser (or rubber) English equivalent That's a mystery That's a puzzler The plot thickens (in some contexts) French equivalent C'est très mystérieux Frog's phrase Mais que c'est il passé pendant cette episode 58 qui est disparu de la liste du Katia et Kyliemac Show? Hmmm. Mystère et boule de gomme. Translation But what ever happened to episode 58, which disappeared from the list of the Katia & Kyliemac Show? Hmmm. It's a real puzzler.

Someone telling you a story that seems a bit far-fetched? We talk about how to say that in French in show 62 : "tirer par les cheveux". Literal translation To pull by the hair English equivalent Far-fetched Hard to swallow French equivalent Chercher loin (only in some circumstances) Frog's phrase La plupart des exemples donnés par Frog dans ce podcast sont completement tirés par les cheveux. Translation The majority of the examples Frog gives in this podcast are totally far-fetched.

Even the French know how to belly-laugh, and in show 61 we teach you how to say that in French : "rigoler comme une baleine". Literal translation To laugh like a whale English equivalent To laugh out loud To laugh one's head off French equivalent Rire comme une bécasse Rigoler à gorge deployé Rire à pleine dent (literary) Exploser de rire Frog's phrase Kylie : Euh, excusez-moi, monsieur, arrêtez de rigoler comme une baleine. Frog : Mais non, mais j'écoute le podcast de Katia et Kyliemac sur mon ipod. C'est Katia que vous entendez à travers mes écouteurs. C'est pas moi! Translation Kylie : Um, excuse me, sir, please stop laughing out loud. Frog : But no, I'm listening to the Katia and Kyliemac podcast on my ipod. It's Katia you're can hear through my headphones. It's not me!

In show 60 we talk about how to say that someone is feeling a bit down in French : "avoir le cafard". Literal translation To have the cockroach English equivalent To have the blues To be depressed To be down in the dumps To be feeling down To be sad To feel out of the ordinary To be out of sorts French equivalent Avoir le blues Ne pas avoir le moral Être déprimé Avoir des idées noires Avoir le bourdon Frog's phrase Grâce à sa consommation regulière de Philexis, Brigitte n'a plus jamais le cafard! Translation Because she takes Philexis regularly, Brigitte never gets down in the dumps anymore!

Playing impossible guessing games with a ten year old? Show 59's phrase could come in handy : "donner sa langue au chat". Literal translation To give one's tongue to the cat English equivalent To give up To throw in the towel I don't know French equivalent Je ne sais pas Je n'ai pas la réponse Frog's phrase Frog : Attention mesdames et messieurs, voici la dernière question pour cinq mille euros. Attention vous ête prête? Que'est ce que le "Katia et Kyliemac Show"? Réponse A : une marque de vêtements, B : un site pornographique, ou C : le podcast de deux hystériques anglophones? Kylie : Um, euh, oh, je ne sais pas! Je donne ma langue au chat! Translation Frog : Attention please ladies and gentlemen, here is the last question for five thousand euros! Are you ready? What is the "Katia and Kyliemac Show"? A : a clothing brand, B : a pornographic website, or C : the podcast of two hysterical anglophones? Kylie : Um, uh, oh, I don't know! I give up!

In show 57 we take a look at another of our most oft-used French expressions, which is generally employed when something works out well (ie. the Muffin Man unexpectedly brings us rhum-rhums when we're thirsty) : "ça tombe bien". Literal translation That falls well English equivalent That's good timing That's perfect timing That's works out well That's convenient French equivalent Ça m'arrange Tomber (arriver) au bon moment Frog's phrase Kylie : Oh, J'ai faim! Frog : Oh, écoute, ça tombe bien parce que je viens de découvrir la cachette sécrete de Tim Tams chez Katia! Kylie & Frog : Youpi! Translation Kylie : Oh, I'm hungry! Frog : Oh, listen, that's good timing because I just discovered the place where Katia hides her Tim Tams! Kylie & Frog : Yay!

It's one of the most well-known French expressions, and in show 56 we talk about the many and varied ways you can employ it : "oh là là". Literal translation Oh la la English equivalent Oh la la Wow Yikes Oh Huh Eek Ouch ... and so on and so forth - for every emotion, there is an oh là là... French equivalent Oh là là Frog's phrase Ohhhh là là là là là là là...

Does someone you know think a little bit too highly of themselves? In show 55 we teach you how to say that in French : "se croire sorti de la cuisse de Jupiter". Literal translation To believe oneself exited from the thigh of Jupiter English equivalent He thinks a lot of himself He thinks highly of himself He thinks he's Gods gift (to mankind / to women / to men / to humanity / to the universe) He thinks he's hot shit He thinks he's top shit He thinks he's the bees knees He thinks he's better than everyone else He has a high opinion of himself French equivalent Se croire meilleur que les autres Peter plus haut que son cul (see k&k learn french #34) Frog's phrase Pamela se croit sorti de la cuisse de Jupiter depuis qu'elle sait conjuger le verbe "avoir" en français. Translation Pamela thinks she's top shit ever since she learned how to conjugated the verb "avoir" in French.

Do you know Paris like the back of your hand? We'll help you say that in show 54 : "connaître quelque chose comme sa poche". Literal translation To know something like ones' pocket English equivalent To know something like the back of your hand To know something inside-out To know something perfectly French equivalent Connaître quelque chose parfaitement Très bien connaître Frog's phrase Kyliemac connaît Paris come sa poche. Même mieux que sa poche, d'ailleurs. Translation Kyliemac knows Paris like the back of her hand. Even better than the back of her hand, actually.