French Idioms and Proverbs

V. Payen-Payne, de (Vinchelés Payen-Payne), 1866-1Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 395K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.French Idioms and Proverbs by de V. Payen-PayneAuthor: V. Payen-Payne, de (Vinchelés Payen-Payne), 1866-1945,Language: English, Class: PC: Language and Literatures: Romance languages: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Feb 1, 2015

Editor's review

This is a compilation of French idioms and proverbs for English-speaking readers, systematically arranged by an early twentieth-century editor and a typical public-domain language reference work. Its value lies not in novel theory but in gathering together those fixed French expressions whose literal meaning differs sharply from their actual meaning, helping readers understand the metaphors and popular sayings common in spoken French and literary works. The book is organized by entry, making it easy to consult and to read in fragments; it is suitable as supplementary material for French learners and also for readers interested in French culture, translation, or cross-cultural communication to dip into at leisure. There is no need to read it straight through; it is better treated as a small corpus to be consulted repeatedly. One caveat: the book was compiled long ago, some expressions may no longer be common, and the explanations are given in English, so readers need some foundation in both English and French to benefit fully.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners with some French foundation who wish to expand their stock of idioms
Translators working with French who need to understand the actual meaning of popular sayings
General readers interested in French culture and cross-cultural expression
Language enthusiasts who like consulting reference books in fragments

Not a good fit for

Absolute beginners who have not yet mastered basic French grammar
Readers expecting systematic grammar instruction or a modern colloquial course
Readers who need Chinese explanations and are uncomfortable with English notes

Reading tips

Pick a few idioms by letter or theme, guess the literal meaning first, then check the explanation to reinforce memory
Excerpt entries whose meaning resembles Chinese proverbs and compare them to appreciate cultural differences
When encountering fixed expressions in French texts, look them up in the book and take notes
No need to read through; consult a fixed number of entries each week for more effective long-term accumulation

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone starting French from zero?

Not really. The entries pair French expressions with English explanations and offer no systematic instruction in pronunciation or grammar, so absolute beginners will struggle to understand them on their own. It is advisable to first master basic grammar and common vocabulary, then use it as a supplementary reader for expanding idioms.

Are the idioms in the book still in use today?

The book was compiled long ago; most of the idioms and proverbs it collects still appear in written and everyday French, but some may seem dated or have limited usage. When reading, judge against contemporary usage and treat it as a reference for understanding the tradition of French expression, not as the sole standard.

What if I can't understand the English explanations?

You can first use a dictionary to understand the English explanation, then compare it with the original French sentence to grasp the usage. If your English is weak, it is advisable to choose a French idiom book with Chinese notes as a primer, and use this book after your English reading ability improves.

Comments

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About the author

V. Payen-Payne, de (Vinchelés Payen-Payne), 1866-1 Author · British · 1866

V. Payen-Payne (de Vinchelés Payen-Payne, born 1866) was a British author of language-education materials; public information on his life dates and personal history is limited. Only one of his works, French Idioms and Proverbs, is currently held in the collection, which gives a general sense of his writing focus: presenting French idioms and proverbs to English-speaking readers and helping learners understand the habitual usage and grammatical features of French expression. Books of this kind typically emphasize practical arrangement and explanation of entries, making them easy to consult and imitate, and they serve a supporting role in French language teaching. Owing to limited sources, details of his biography, other writings, and the specific influence of his work remain to be further verified.