Patois, dictons, metaphores: lettre C continué

Don Levesque, Special to The County
3 years ago

Poisson d’avril!  Ont aimais tu donc ça jouer des tours a nos parents pi a nos ami(e)s quand on étais jeune pi moins jeunes.

Mais moué j’appris que, si tu fait un coup a quelqu’un, y von souvent te rendre ton coup 10 fois pire que toué t’a faite!

J’epère que ça vous a pas arrivés.

Voici la continuation de la lettre C:

cinquante-cinquante, un joual pi un ljèveliterally: 50 –50, a horse and a hare; uneven shares

clanche la porte – shut the door firmly

claques – low-cut snow “rubbers” worn over dress shoes

clârice – loose woman

clou dresséliterally: straightened nail; anything second-hand

clous Républicain literally: Republican nails; headless nails

clutche! literally: transmission clutch; get outta here! 

coeur de pouleliterally: chicken heart; easily grossed out

coeur su’l’boute des dentsliterally: heart on the edge of the teeth; easily grossed out

colletor – tar

conchonnerie literally: sty; trash, unwanted junk

Concession d’Poche d’Our – just off U.S. Rte. 161 in Fort Kent, ME

congne-cueliterally: butt knocker; old car

congner des clousliterally: hammer nails; nod off

collant comme une moucheliterally: sticky as a fly; annoyingly persistent person

comme arracher des dentsliterally: like pulling teeth; difficult to do

comme un coup d’masseliterally: like striking with a sledgehammer; suddenly, shockingly

comme un jueu s’a soupeliterally: like a hair in a soup; silently, unannounced

comme un oisseu su’un brancheliterally: like a bird on a branch; nervous, indecisive, unreliable

compter un chapitreliterally: to relate a chapter; tell off

Concession de Liche Lardliterally: settlement of lick-lard; Belanger Settlement off Rte. 11 in Fort Kent, ME

conter des peursliterally: relate scary stories; lie

contraireux comme un cochon dans d’ champ d’poisliterally: contrary as a pig in a field of peas; very stubborn, obstinate

contraireux comme un cochon s’a glaceliterally: contrary as a pig on ice; very stubborn, obstinate

Don Levesque is a Grand Isle native who worked in community journalism for almost 35 years. He was the publisher and editor of the St. John Valley Times for 15 years prior to retiring in 2010. He wrote a weekly newspaper column, called Mon 5¢, in the Valley Times for more than 20 years. He has been inducted into the Maine Journalism Hall of Fame and the Maine Franco-American Hall of Fame.