Cajun French Language Tutorials
Jim Leger teaches the Cajun language
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Foreign Words (French) And Phrases Used In English
Cajuns do incorporate a number of English words in their vocabulary, but that is not uncommon as I stated before in other languages.
Let’s see some of the French phrases that are found in an English dictionary.
À beau jeu, beau retour: One good turn deserves another.
À bon appétit, il faut point de sauce: A good appetite needs no sauce.
À bientôt: until soon, see you soon.
À bon chat bon rat: Tit for tat.
À bon marché: At a cheap price or bargain.
À bras ouverts: With open arms.
Accompli:Â Accomplished, fulfilled, complete.
À compte: On account, partial payment.
À contre coeur: Against one’s will.
À corps perdu: Without restraint, recklessly.
À demain: Until tomorrow, good-by till tomorrow.
À droite: To the right, on the right.
Affiche:Â Notice, poster.
Affaire d’amour:Â A love affair.
Affaire d’honneur:Â An affair of honor, a duel.
À gauche: To the left, on the left.
À grand frais: At great expense.
À haute voix: Aloud, in a loud voice.
Aide-mémoire: A memory aid, reminder, appointment book.
À jamais: Forever.
À la bonne heure: Well done! Right! Very good!
À la broche: Skewered or cooked on a spit.
À la Créole: In the Creole style, served with a sauce of green peppers, onions and tomatoes.
À la julienne: Served with thin-sliced vegetables.
À la main: Handy, ready, done by hand.
À l’huile: In oil.
Allée: Lane, avenue, garden path, passage.
Allégresse: Joy, gladness, cheerfulness, liveliness.
Allez-vous-en:Â Go away! Go ahead!
Allons:Â Let us go, come on, come.
Allumette:Â A match, puff pastry.
Âme perdu: A lost soul.
Ami du peuple:Â Friend of the people.
À point: Just right, correct to the last detail, well done meat.
Appellez-moi:Â Call me.
À propos de bottes: A phrase used to change the subject, speaking of boots, by the way.
À quoi bon: What is the use? To what purpose?
Arrière-pensée: A mental reservation, ulterior motive.
Assez-bien:Â Pretty well, well enough.
À tort et à travers: At random.
À toutes jambes: As fast as his legs could carry him.
À tout prix: At any price.
Attendez:Â Wait! Wait a minute!
Au beurre fondu:Â In melted butter.
Au contraire:Â On the contrary.
Au fond:Â At the bottom, basically.
Au fromage:Â With cheese.
Au gras: Cooked in gravy, or juices.
Au maigre:Â Cooked lean.
Au pair: A mutual exchange of services without payment. Applies to a governess in exchange for room and board.
Au pis aller:Â At worst.
Au plaisir de vous revoir: Till I have the pleasure of seeing you again.
Au reste:Â Moreover, besides.
Au secours:Â To the rescue!
Au soleil:Â In the sun.
Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait: No sooner said than done.
Autres temps, autres meurs:Â As times change so do customs.
Au voleur: Stop thief!
Aux choux:Â With cabbage.
Aux soins de:Â In care of.
Avant-hier:Â The day before, yesterday.
Avec permission:Â With permission.
Avec plaisir:Â With pleasure.
À votre santé: To your health.
These are just a few words and phrases that begin with the letter “a.” A person could go through the alphabet and find French phrases in each letter category.
Cajuns would understand some of these phrases. Some may be understood in their literal meanings. Â
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Des Mots Avec Le Préfixe Ou La Première Syllabe - “Mal”
The French adverb “mal” means badly, wrongly, improperly, painfully, etc.
E.g. Y s’a fait du “mal” dans le bas (dans ses reins) de son dos quand il a tombé du cheval. (He hurt his lower back when he fell off of his horse.)
Cette nouvelle de mon p’tit me fait du “mal.” (This news of my child (little one) hurts me. (Mental or emotional hurt.)
Asteur allons user des mots qu’ont le préfixe ou la première syllabe, “mal.”
Ça c’est trop “mal-à -propos” de mentionner devant les enfants. (This is too improper to make mention of in front of the children.)
“Le pauvre tit bougre etait “mal à son aise” avec ses chouboulures.(la gratelle.)” (The poor little boy was ill at ease with his heat rash or itch.”) (”choubouloures” the first “ou” in this word was sounded more like an “ah” (chahboulures), from where I originated.)
“Il est assez “maladroite” que on peut l’appeler “gauche.” (He is so clumsy that we can call him “gauche” or “lefty.”)
“L’avocat a “maladvisé” ses clients en exprés.” (The lawyer ill-advised his clients on purpose.)
“La maitresse d’l'école a donné une problème a ses étudiants qu’etait trés malaisé a résolu.” (The teacher gave her students a problem that was very hard (not easy) to resolve (do).)
“Son père m’a dit qu’il l’avait “malamené” (malélevé) et c’est pour ça que aujourd’hui son garçon se trouve dans du tracas.” (His father told me that he had his son and that is why today he finds himself in trouble.)
“Elle avait un tas de “malchance” pendant sa jeunesse.”  (She had a lot of misfortune during her childhood.” “Elle etait trés “malchanceuse” quand ell etait jeune.” (She was a misfortunate one when she was young.”)
“J’crois que tu m’a “malcompris” hier soir (hier au soir) quand j’ai parlé à toi sur le téléphone.” (I think that you misunderstood me when I spoke to you on the telephone last night.)Â
“Le p’tit bébé est trés “malcontent” quand il a une couche (un drapeau) qu’est sale.” (The little baby is very discontented when he has a dirty diaper.)
“Les grands chemins de la Louisiane sont trés “malégal” dans un tas de places.” (The higways of Louisiana are very uneven in many places.)
“Je connait que les deux femmes a un “malentendu” entre eux.” (I know that the two women have a misunderstanding between them.”)
“Ce tit “malin” est aprés “malfaire” comme habitude.” (”That little tricky one is up to his tricks as usual.)
“Il a “malfait”, asteur il faut qu’il paie.” “He did an evil deed, now he must pay.)Â
“Le tit poulain etait “malformé” depuis sa naissance.”  (The little pony was badly shaped from birth.)
“Malgré” de tous les efforts du sénateur sa proposition de loi etait pas passée.” (In spite of all the senator’s efforts his legislative bill was not passed.)
“Ça, c’etait un grand “malheur” que le vieux homme a reçu.” (That was a big mishap that occured to the old man.)
“Pauvre “malheureuse” ell me fait d’la peine.” (I feel sorry for the poor unfortunate woman.)
“J’m'ai aperçu, la dernière fois que j’acheté de quoi au magasin de departement, que le commis etait “malhonnète.” (I realized that the last time I bought something at the department store that the clerk was dishonest.)
“Il est pas vaillant de faire des “malices.” (It is not nice to play dirty tricks.)
“Moi j’crois qu’il a fait ça dans une manière trés “malintentioné.” (I believe that he did this in a very badly disposed manner.)
“Il faut prendre précaution de pas “maljuger” notre prochain.” (We must take precaution not to misjudge our neighbor.)
“La mère etait “malpatient” avec sa tite fille quand elle a tiré une colère (crisse) dans la boutique.” (The mother was impatient with her little daughter when she threw a fit in the store.”)
“Le chien sa trouvé “malpris” quand il a essayé de passer en travers du fil-a-carreau.” (The dog was in trouble or got caught when he tried to pass through the fence (with squares).)
“Il y’a des maison qui sont beaucoup “malpropre” et pas bien entretenu.” (There are houses that are very dirty and not very well kept.) “Elle est connu d’être une personne “malpropre.” (She is known to be an immoral person.)
“Le manger d’aujourd’hui est préparé dans une manière qu’est “malsain.” (Today’s food is prepared in such a way that it is not healthy for us.) “L’air qu’on respire a un tas de pollution qu’est trés malsain et qu’est responsable pour toute sorte de maladie des poumons.” (The air that we breathe is full of pollution that is very unhealthy and responsible for all sorts of lung sicknesses.)
“Aujourd’hui il y’a beaucoup des enfants qui sont maltraité.”  (Today there are many children who are battered.)
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Amener Ou Emmener - To Bring Or To Take? Face Ou Figure?
Like in English these four verbs do cause some trouble. I always had to stop and think of the action before I used the correct verb.
To “bring” of course would be an action towards you and to “take” would be an action away from you. The same is true of the two French verbs.
“Amener” means to bring an object or person toward you. E.g. “La fille amena (a amené) mon chapeau.” The girl brought me my hat. “Amenes-moi du sucre quand ti (tu) vas aller à la boutique (grocerie).” Bring me some sugar when you go to the store.
“Emmener” means to take something away from where you are. E.g. “La femme emmena (a emmené) sa robe à la modiste pour la faire raccommoder.” The woman took her dress to the seamstress to have it patched. “Emmenez cette farine à la boulangerie que y pouvent faire des gâteux.” Take (you plural) this flour to the bakery so they can bake some cakes.
Cajuns use the word “la figure” for a person’s face. E.g. “Sa figure été toute grafigné.” His or her face was all scratched up. “Elle aime mettre du rouge sur sa figure.” She likes to put rouge on her face. “L’enfant a pas pu s’esquivé de blâme parce qu’il avait du chocolat partout sur sa figure.” The child could not escape blame because he had chocolate all over on his face.
The word “face” in Cajun is never used for a person’s face. It may be used as the front side of something, but I didn’t hear that very often. Instead I heard “Il etait aprés figurer en avant de sa maison pour observer le damage qu’été fait par le vent fort.” He was facing his house to observe the damage caused (made) by the strong wind. “L’entrée de la maison figure au nord.” The entrance to the house faced northward.
“Figurer” can also mean an action to “figure” something out, to conclude something, to think or to imagine something. E.g. “L’avocat figura (a figuré) que son client etait coupable avant que le procès a commencé (commença). The lawyer imagined, concluded, thought that his client was guilty before the trial began.
To be safe when speaking to a Cajun always refer to a person’s face as “une figure” not “une face.”
By the way the Cajun word for “a joke” is “une farce.” So be careful because at times you do not hear the “r” pronounced by us. It sounds like “faire des fa(r)ces.” So “your farce was very funny” could mean something demeaning to a Cajun.  ”Ta fa(r)ce etait trés comique” could be taken to mean that he or she had a funny face.
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Du, Dû, Dè, Dès, Dés, Des
Let me see if I can debacle these.
“Du” means “of the.” Instead of saying “de le” in French we say “du.” E.g. “Le duvet du chien etait aprés tomber tous partout dans la maison.” Now if your subject was “feminine” you would use “de la.” No combination here.
“Dû” means “owing,” “owing to,” “be due,” and “due to.” E.g. The payment was due last month. “Le paiement était dû le moi passé.” Due to the weather we had to cancel the party. “Il a fallu annuler la partie dû au mauvais temps.” “Refuse pas le bien à ceux à qui il est dû.” (Do not refuse or hold back good to whom it is due.)
“Le dé” is a little noun that a seamstress cannot do without. It is a “thimble” and also a “cube” or “die.” E.g.s “La modiste use son dé comme une aide pour pouser l’aiguille dans l’etoffe. A met le dé sur son médius (le doigt au milieu de la main). Le dé empêche l’aiguille d’être enfoncé dan l’doigt.”
“Dès” a preposition has the meaning of “from the beginning” or “from the start.” The young man fell in love with the young woman from the start or beginning of their acquaintance. “Le jeune homme a tombé en amour avec la jeune femme dès qu’il a fait sa connaissance.” (We also use “depuis” in this case “since” he made her acquaintance.)
“Dés” is the plural of “dé” either for thimble or die. “Ils (y l’ont) ont joué (tiré dés) en dés presque toute la nuit.” (They shot dice nearly all night.”) Ma mère a un tas de dés. (My mother has a lot of thimbles.)
The vegetables were diced for a salad. “Les légumes etait coupé en dés pour faire une salade.” In this case “en dés” means to dice the vegetables.
“Des” is the adjective for “some,” and for an ”unknown quantity.” The little boy had some marbles in his pocket. “Le tit garçon avait des caniques dans ses poches.”
Now just think we had to learn all of this by ear only. No wonder we got confused at times. Thanks to our elders we were at times corrected.
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Parce Que Ou Puisque
As I was growing up among the older generation of Cajuns I heard both of these conjunctions used. However, among my generation the usuage of “puisque” got mingled or mangled in with “parce que.”
According to French Dictionaries both words can mean “because.” However, I more often see “puisque” used for “since” than for “because.”Â
I read that the rule to remember is that if the fact is not completely known, use “puisque.” E.g. In as much as the weather may not be good tomorrow let us be ready. “Puisque le temps va peut-être pas être joli demain, allons se préparé.”Â
“Parce que on connait que le temps va étre mauvais demain il faut se préparé pour la pluie.” However, it seems in English we use “since” and “because” interchangeably at times. Since, however, has another meaning. (From then till now. Before now, ago. (adv.) Since yesterday (prep.) In the interval, “I have been ill twice since I saw you last.” (conj.) Here the Cajun French word “depuis” (prep.) could be used.
Here are two e.g.s given on line: “Puisque les enfants ne pouvaient pas entrer dans un Casino, on a visité un musée à Macao. (The reason is not given as to why children cannot enter a casino, so “puisque” “since” is used.)
The other e.g. : “Je ne bois pas de bière “parce que” c’est trop fort pour moi.” “Parce que” “because” is used here since the reason is definitely known as to why the person does not drink beer.Â
The Cajun word “car” (conj.) can also be used for “because.” “Car à ça il va être puni.” Here “car” can also mean “for” “for that he will be punished.
Anyway, if you use “parce que” instead of “puisque” I am sure that you would be understood by Cajuns if you used either. However, to some Cajuns if you used “puisque” they may think that you are from another area of Louisiana or using a more “formal Cajun French.”Â
January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Le Sang D’Macaque?
The topical medicine “mercurochrome,” was hard for us to pronounce as kids. “Iodine” was a little easier. So for the both we came up with an English wording “monkey blood.”
Well we Cajun kids were not going to be out done, so we simply translated it into Cajun and came up with “le sang d’macaque.” (”Le macaque” is generic for monkey in Cajun.)
When we skinned ourselves or cut ourselves in school, that is generally what was used to put on the open wound. In fact, if I am not in error, “si j’me trompe pas,” the band aids had a pad with mercurochrome on it. Iodine had a deep red color, mercurochrome was not so red.
J’me rappele quand ma soeur a coupé son pied à l’école. Alle a cogné ou abordé son pied sur le pied de son bureau (pupître). Les pieds du bureau etaient attaché sur le plancher d’bois avec des avisses, et en temps les avisses ont dévissé et le pointu du pied etait exposé. Ma soeur a frappé le pointu avec son pied et s’a la laissé avec une mauvaise coupure, trés creux.
La maitresse d’école la emmené sur la seconde (deuxième) étage ayeou l’office de premiers secours etait trouvé. On avait pas un aide-soignant (a nurse) dans les jours là . Le professeur a mis du “sang d’macaque” sur sa coupeur épis (et puis) il l’a enveloppé avec un linge propre aprés son pied arrêtait de saigner.  La maitresse l’a emmené chez-nous mais cet épisode l’a pas freiné. Lendemain ma soeur etait à l’école encore avec son pied enveloppé. C’est drôle que le tétanus l’a pas pris.
Si ma soeur aurait été chez-nous quand tel chose aurait arrivé, on aurait été au baril de coal-oil (d’huile à lampe) épis (et puis) on aurait trempé* son pied avec cet huile. Ou peut-êt(re) on aurait vidé d’la térébenthine sur son pied, et là aussi, l’enveloppé avec un linge propre. Soi-disant la tétrébenthine est un bon antibiotique pour user sur une overture de la chair.
*It is interesting how that in SF to wet or soak the verb “mouiller” is used. Now we know that to a Cajun “mouiller” means to rain basically. So when I read such in SF it makes me chuckle. I can just see someone “aprés mouiller le pied!” No doubt it came into use by saying that it is wetting outside or something of that sort.
So growing up we had many traumas but most of the time we came out o.k. Anyway, if you hear a Cajun say “attrape-moi le sang d’macaque!”, you will head straight to the medicine cabinet (l’armoire de toilette, fem.) and fetch the “iodine” or “mercurochrome.”
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Tirer - Be Careful With This Verb
This is a transitive verb that has a few meanings but one of these could be detrimental if you carried out the wrong action on an object.
If my Dad said: J’vas aller tirer la vache dans un moment. He could be taking one of two actions. (He could mean that he was going to shoot the cow shortly or go out and milk the cow.)
This verb can have the following meanings: to pull, to drag, to draw, to take, to throw, to draw near, to shoot a gun, to milk a cow.
E.g.s Il a tiré d’l'eau du puits pour ses bêtes. (He drew water from the well for his animals.)
 La jument à tiré un coup d’pied quand le tit bougre a venu trop prés d’elle. (The mare threw a kick when the little fellow came too close to her.)
J’ai tiré la plotte à le joueur qu’etait sur le premier but. (I threw the baseball to the player on 1st base.)Â
 On va tiré une course pour voir qui c’est qu’est le meilleur coureur. (We will have a race to see who is the best runner.)
Quand j’ai levé ma tête et quand j’ai regardé où que le soliel etait en ciel, j’m'ai aperçu que l’heure etait aprés se tirer sur midi. (When I raised my head and when I saw where the sun was in the sky, I perceived that the hour of 12 noon was near.)
Les jeunes garçons etaient aprés tirer des chiques contre le veux homme. (The young boys were throwing insults against the elderly man.)
Mon père voulait pas me quitter tirer son fusil peur que j’aurai frappé son chien de chase. (My father would not let me shoot his shotgun fearing that I would have hit his hunting dog.)
Il est permi par la loi de tirer (tuer) une certaine quantité de canards pendant la saison pour les tirer, mais il faut avoir une license (un permis) pour être capable de faire ça. (It is legal to shoot a certain amount of ducks during the duck season, but one must have a license to be able to do that.)
La vieille femme ressemble qu’elle est aprés tirer sur la fin de sa vie. (It looks like the old woman is approaching the end of her life.)
La famille a besoin de faire tirer un portrait pour le cherir et l’montrer à sa parenté dans l’avenir. (The family needs to shoot a family picture so that it can be cherised and shown to relatives in the future.)
Le chasseur s’a tiré quand il a essayé de traverser la barrière avec son fusil chargé. (The hunter shot himself when he tried to cross the fence with a loaded shotgun.)
La jeune fille est trés têtu parce qu’elle a été avec ses amies pour tirer sa bonne aventeur, malgré d’être défendu de faire ça par ses parents. ( The teenage girl is very hard headed since she went with her friends to have her fortune told, despite being forbidden by her parents to do so.)
So you see there are many meanings of “tirer.” The mean difference that you need to know is that “of shooting” between the other usuages.
January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Allons Se Promener
A Cajun habit was to visit their neighbors and relatives. Often times this was done with no prior notice of this habit. Today, visiting just for the sake of visiting and conversation is just about nil. People spend too much time in front of the T.V. and let others entertain them.
Dans les temps passé on avait l’habitude de se promener. On n’avait pas besoin d’announcer notre visite. Il etait expecté* que temps en temps on aurait eu de la compagnie simplement pour passé le temps en charade.
*The verb “to expect” (”espérer, attendre”) were used, but where I came from we used “expecter” also. Though this is not a known way to express this action in SF, since we heard the English term so often, we incorporated it into our Cajun vocabulary. Just like “correcter” and “protecter” were used instead of “corriger and protéger) at times.
Enfin on espérait d’la compagnie. On quetté au chassis on espérance de voir des voisins aprés venir pour nous visiter. La grègue de café etait préparé et pendant la visite, la recevante passait le café plusse qu’une fois.
Les hommes se sont séparé de les femmes et ils passaient le temps aprés raconter des histoires du vieux temps ou comment qu’ils avaient jouer des niches sur une et l’autre.
 Les femmes restaient dans la cuisine et parlent des choses qui les  appartinrent. Y faisaient sûr que la grègue de café aurait rester pleine, et chaude. Tu pouvais les entendre rire quand une d’eux faisaient une farce.
À pour les enfants y jouent des joues dans une chambre allumé par une lampe à d’huile de lamp. Si la lune etait pleine, les enfants allaient déhors pour jouer caché fête ou d’autre joue. Si les maringouins etaient trop nombreux il fallait qu’ils rentrent dans la maison. Le même pour les hommes, ils rentraient en maison et allaient dans la chambre d’en avant.
Le temps se passé trés vite, mais le lendemain ils avaient un tas de quoi pour raconter à d’autre.Â
La promenade etait trés utile dans les jour passé, et au même temps la camaraderie etait renforcé. Aujourd’hui il y’a des fois que les voisins se connaissent pas. Le monde se fient pu. Quelle tragédie!
Peut-être vous pouvez mettre cette habitude en force encore. Essayez-le et j’crois que vous-autres va aimer cette habitude du temps passé. Ayant fait ça, vous-autres pourra, peut-être, la récommandé à d’autres.
January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Corriger, Protéger Et Coupable
Two verbs in French that Cajuns have altered a little will be discussed now.
The verb (”corriger”) meaning to correct or amend is used by Cajuns, but they have another way of saying it. I heard (”correcter”) more often than I did (”corriger”). In fact the first time I heard “corriger”, if I am recalling correctly is when I took French I in high school.
 We had to “corriger les fautes,” when we erred in our French lessons. At home I always heard “correcter les fautes.” “Il faut que j’correct mon erreur trouvé dans mon livre de chèques.” “I need to correct my error in my checkbook.
Now in standard French you find “correct adj., correctement adv., correcteur n.m., correctif n.m. and correctional adj.” So to the Cajuns why not “correcter?” Anyway we incorporated the form of that verb into our vocabulary and we had no trouble with that.
The same is true with “protéger,” which is a verb meaning “to protect.” Cajuns like to use “protecter” in their everyday speech. I did hear “protéger” but I believe more often “protecter.”
Like “corriger,” ”protéger” has adjectives and nouns that use (protect). You can find these in a sf dictionary; “protecteur adj, nm., protection n.f., protectionism n.m., and protectioniste adj. So why not “protecter?”
Anyway that is what makes the Cajun language interesting. Living in an English speaking society words were invented to make themselves better understood. In fact, Cajuns coming to Louisiana, had to invent a lot of words for various subjects they found, which they were not acquainted with in their Acadian land.
“J’vas protecté mes biens pour les quitter (laisser) à mes enfants.” “Il protect son nom avec une grande ardeur.” “Si tu veux la protection de la loi, il faut que tu sois un bon citoyen.” “Mon père est connu comme un protecteur de ses voisins.”
Another word, adjective, that I was puzzled over when I was younger is the French word “coupable.” Now to me I heard the verb “couper” (to cut) in that adjective, so it was a bit confusing. E.g. “L’homme etait déclaré coupable aprés son procès.” (The man was found or declared guilty after his trial.)
Again, after I took French in school I was able to unravel (dénouer) that mysterious word. So, my parents knew what it meant, but I never did ask them for the definition. I should have, but I didn’t. “J’sus coupable de pas leur demander quoi c’est que le mot voulait dire.”
So, again, you who know standard French be careful that you do not critisize Cajuns for using their own vocabulary.
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)
Redoutable Et Plusse
When I first got acquainted with the French word “redoutable” I was amazed at the difference in definitions from SF to Cajun.Â
In Cajun “redoutable” (adj.) was always used to mean “doubtful.” The verb “douter” (v.i) means to doubt or suspect implicating doubt. In the Standard French the same definition holds as in Cajun for the verb “douter” ( to express uncertainty or doubt ‘incertain, douteux’).
When it comes to the adjective “redoutable” the SF has a definition that is not used in Cajun. It describes a person or situation as being “formidable, terrifying or awesome.” In Cajun we would use the following adjectives instead, “epouvantable (terrifying), formidable (formidable) and étonnant (awesome) or other adjectives.
That is why again, those of you who know standard French need to be careful as to what word you choose. The only way a person can convey a message is by using words that are understood by the hearer. So, if you know what “redoutable” means in SF, if you were to use it in front of most Cajuns they would get the wrong understanding.
E.g. L’histoire du loup-garu est trés redoutable. (The account about the werewolf is terrifying.) (Cajuns would no doubt think that you said it is a doubtful account.) If you were to say it this way they would no doubt understand, “L’histoire du loup-garu est trés épouvantable (étonnant).”
An ”idiot” in Cajun is “un imbécile.” The same as in Standard French, of course I believe that SF uses the word to mean much more.
In Cajun, you can “faire l’imbécile,” or do the fool. In that sense it simply conveys a meaning of being or acting “foolish” but not necessarily being a literal fool. Often I would hear my elders say “mais gardez-donc ça, imbécile!” Now it could mean that one thought you to actually being more than foolish.Â
We would often use “arrête de faire le fou!” Now here again “le fou” or “la folle” can mean actually being crazy or mad. However, again, it can take on the meaning of simply being silly.
 “Arrête de faire le paillasse!” (The (ll) is pronounced like a (y).) Or in other words stop clowning around! Look out now in Standard French the dictionary says that “une paillasse” is a ’straw mattress.’ (so it is in Cajun) Now we had such mattresses. We used corn shucks in ours. The mattress had a long slit in the middle of it so that the shucks could be spread around to make it not too lumpy.
Cajuns also use the word “un bouffon”( buffoon)Â for a clown.
Here is something that has to do with locality. A scarecrow in French is “un épouvantail” or “un épouvantail à moineaux,” literally something to scare sparrows. (”épouvanter” means to scare ”les moineaux” are the sparrows. Remember in Cajun a sparrow can also be “un titisse” or “un moineau” meaning a (”un moins”) lesser or little bird)
Now in Cajun the Cajun dictionary uses the same word “épouvantail” as in SF, however, where we came from we used the term “un bon homme.”  Now that literally means “a good man.” “Il resemmble un tit bon homme” or he looks like a little “scarecrow.” Now in Cajun that term can also mean “a stranger.” (That is from afar.)** So you figure that one out. Look out for localisms in the Cajun language!
In SF the verb “embêter” means to “bother, nag and to mess with.” In Cajun it takes those meanings plus another one. “Il m’a embêté avec ça.”  ”He deceived me with that.” It can denote an action of “tricking, fooling, bothering, annoying, allowing to be cheated etc.” I heard more of the “deceiving” action in my locale. Especially to trick one.
Now we also use the noun “le bête” to mean the foolish one or silly. Here is an example found in the Cajun dictionary: “être trop bête pour vider un pot de chambre” (being to foolish or silly to empy a chamber pot)
We also used “la bétise.” That means to be foolish or to joke or to express nonsense. “Il aime faire des bétise” (He likes to cut up) “Il est toujours apés* (aprés) dire des bétise.” (He is always saying jokes”)
So again, Cajuns sometimes will extend a meaning to words that come directly from SF. So again, be careful not to condemn when this is done.
*The word “aprés” is often times pronounced “apés” in everyday Cajun.
**It could be that when a person is coming down the road, being a long distance from you, that his appearances are not too clear. In fact he may resemble a “scarecrow” in a corn field in your imagination.
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January 2007
- Author: Jim Leger | Category: Learn Cajun French | Comments(0)