Nord Pas-de-Calais is considered by many to be the second-least-poetically-named French region (see our Centre blog). The locals want to call it "Hauts-de-l'Artois", which is a bit like saying The Heights of Norfolk.
If you go there, and if you haven't already alienated the entire population with cheap jokes about Norfolk, you could impress them instead with your stylish and idiomatic command of the Picard dialect. "Un n'incrach' pon chés pourcjiaux à l'iau claire " means "Round here, we don't fatten pigs with tap water." This will lend you an air of mystery. Or get you locked up. If things look like heading in the getting-locked-up direction, you can usually save the situation with "Armettez nous ches verr' comm' y' z'étott !" (Landlord, another round!)
La Résidence - THE French Property People
No comments:
Post a Comment