The KudoZ open glossary is a browsable glossary of terms translated via the KudoZ term help network.

French to English Poetry & Literature Translation Glossary

French term English translation
avoir des pointes a son actif to have st to one's credit
à fleur de lèvres They mouthed words...
à l'aune de l'autre against the yardstick of the other
à l'échapade surreptitiously
à la parfin what the hell is she playing at?
à mi-chemin entre ciel et mer where sea and sky converge
Entered by: Carol Gullidge
à portée de cœur just a heartbeat away
Entered by: Carol Gullidge
á mon céant propped up
échapper à avoid
Entered by: Tony M
écriture blanche et écriture rouge Plain and flowery writing
édifice de ma vie edifice / structure / fabric of my life
édition furtive bootleg editions/publishing
électron libre wandering star
Entered by: Michele Fauble
être au bout de ses moustaches totally at one with itself
Entered by: Yvonne Gallagher
Ô béni soit à jamais ce péché capital Oh blessed be for all time this deadly sin!
À fleur d’eau, à fleur de peau of the water's touch/of our skin's caress
À tout malheur bonheur est bon. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Entered by: Gayle Wallimann
“devenir nègre” being made to feel black
bagne (forced) labor camp
ballet ballet... la dance
basseman ( bosseman ) boatswain's mate
bâton de vieillesse staff of old age
Entered by: Steven Durose
bête curieuse object of curiosity
beau veau Dandy/Fop - derogatory description of a handsome, spoilt young man. Archaic.
bien piquée de déprime galopante in the grips of a galloping depression
billet d'humour On a Humorous Note
bon Dieu de bois de saperlotte mild blasphemy, euphemism
bottine d'opéra opera boots
bout à bout sans dessus dessous pieced together like patchwork
brasillement glint/glimmering/flickering/sparkling
brûlot incendiaire Greek fire
bribes de laine étalent leur écheveau oblong ou étoilé selon le souffle du vent scraps of wool spread out their skein, oblong or star-shaped, depending on the gusts of wind
Entered by: Yolanda Broad
butinent et lutinent fondle and nuzzle
Entered by: Janice Giffin
calife à la place du calife step into his shoes
capharnüm clutter / cluttered junk shop
capitaine-châtelain capitaine-châtelain
Caresser des chimères Nurturing illusions / chasing rainbows
carte obligée One map that's essential
castillèje paintbrush
C’est à juste titre que nos jeunes gens du kilomètre Cinq l’on surnommé le "Bouc Our youth from the kilomètre Cinq nicknamed him the Butcher of Lobaye - and rightly so.
Entered by: NancyLynn
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