How does one learn french with a nuisette? Read on.
When my children were young (not as young as in the photo) I often played a game with them while driving the car. It went like this: I would say a word in English and they would have to tell me its counterpart in French. Then they would tell me a word in French and I would have to tell them the same word in English. It was a way to stimulate their vocabulary… being bi-lingual doesn't just happen. You gotta work at it. They begrudged my constant reminders: "Speak English to one another!"
I remember saying the word: Daisy, and Sacha groaning, "Not fair! I am a boy. You know more flowers than I do!"
So I said baseball words, and he gave me that look that said what only teenagers can say without saying anything to their parents.
The other rule of the game was that you couldn't say a word if you did not know it in both languages.
(I often cheat at silly games. My family doesn't seem to mind. They know me by now. They never cheat.)
Yesterday evening on our way home from Cassis, I asked French Husband if he wanted to play the Word Game with me. He laughed at first. Then he realized it was not as easy as he thought. He had to come up with a word I did not know.
He got me with Steering Wheel.
I got him with Medians. He answered bumps. We could tell we were driving.
He got me with Moissonneuse "harvester" in French, I should have known that one. My dad would have not been proud at my forgetfulness.
I got him with St. John's Wort, "Le millepertuis". Plants and flowers to the rescue.
He got me with Une Cane. It is a female duck. I thought Canard was both masculine and femnine for duck. Tricky he was. So I played his game and asked, "How do you say thread bobbin in French?" He was clueless. I told him sewing with his mother taught me that one: Canette is "thread bobbin". Reminds me of a female duck: Cane "ette".
A very old fashion nuisette….
Photo Source The Sewciety Etsy
I don't remember how many more words we tossed at each other, or who was ahead. Though I do remember asking if he knew what, "Baby Dolls" were? I loved when he answered, "Q-tee Girls." I had to remind him that he was suppose to say the word in French. "Baby dolls" in French are Nuisettes.
He liked that.
(Standing in a nuisette am I?)
"Gee, duh spice it up." I teased.
Learning French with nuisettes… I am going to start a fad.
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