à la belle étoile – at the beautiful star. And just like in English, une étoile is a star in the sky and in the movies. In everyday French, à la belle étoile means ‘outside’, ‘out in the open’, ‘under the stars’. This expression is often used with the verb COUCHER, to sleep.
« Les enfants sont tout contents, car ils vont coucher dans le champ, à la belle étoile. »
“The children are very happy, for they are going to sleep in the field, under the stars.”
ne pas voir en peinture — can’t stand — Mot du Jour
ne pas voir en peinture – to not see in painting. In everyday French, ne pas voir en peinture means to not be able to stand, I can’t stand, I hate the sight of…
« J’ai hâte de déménager. J’peux plus voir cette maison en peinture. »
“I can’t wait to move. I can’t stand this house anymore.”
faire le mur – to do the wall, faire le mur means to escape, to sneak out of a place. This expression is mostly used with teenagers sneaking out when parents don't realize it.
The expression ‘faire le mur’ is also the name of a yearly movie event that takes place in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival. It’s called ‘Cannes fait le mur’ - ‘The Cannes Film Festival does the wall’. It’s a spectacular event presenting huge photographs hanging on high building walls throughout town. It’s really impressive. I hope you get to visit Cannes during 'Cannes fait le mur’.
« La maison qu'ils ont achetée est vraiment faite pour que les enfants puisse faire le mur. »
"The house they bought makes it easy for their children to sneak out."
In everyday French, la maison mère is the first branch or the main location of a convent or of a company. la maison mère is ‘themain branch’, ‘the headquarters’ in English.
Don’t mix up mère, maire and mer.
« Il faudra envoyer le plat à la maison mère pour qu’ils le réparent. »
“You’ll have to send the dish back to the headquarters for them to repair it.”
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