Blanche sat in Cafe Rouge drinking pinot noir ...
I just wrote that sentence for you after I looked at the words Cafe Rouge and thought, that means Red Cafe. I was reminded of the fact that a number of familiar words are colors which makes it easy to remember the French and other language words. The name Cafe Rouge also reminds us that in French the adjective (describing word) comes after the noun (name), the opposite of English.
Who is the eminence g r i s e who has carte blanche? The doyenne wearing Jacques Vert, drinking pinot noir in Cafe Rouge!
Here are some French words and phrases using colour:
I just wrote that sentence for you after I looked at the words Cafe Rouge and thought, that means Red Cafe. I was reminded of the fact that a number of familiar words are colors which makes it easy to remember the French and other language words. The name Cafe Rouge also reminds us that in French the adjective (describing word) comes after the noun (name), the opposite of English.
Who is the eminence g r i s e who has carte blanche? The doyenne wearing Jacques Vert, drinking pinot noir in Cafe Rouge!
Here are some French words and phrases using colour:
Cafe Rouge - red cafe
Orange - orange
Cordon Bleu - blue cord or ribbon award
Jacques Vert - Jack Green (fashion label)
Film Noir - black film - film with sad, serious, somber subject
Eminence gris -grey / gray, shadowy figure of influence
pinot gris - white grape
pinot noir - black grape (from Burgundy)
burgundy - wine colour from Burgundy
blanc - grape (grey) white - the wine world does not use the word green
noir - grape black
rouge - red wine
blanc - white wine - mispronunciation led to the British slang plonk
carte blanche - white card (notice the adjective in French is second) / free hand / do what you like
eminence grise - secret power behind the throne
French colour words:
yellow - jaune
silver - argent
gold - or
dark pink - cerise
rose - pink
Colour Words Used For Clothing and Paints
Beige - beige
creme - cream colour
taupe - the word taupe in ladies' clothing catalogues used to puzzle me. (Here is a description of the colour and the origin of the word From Wikipedia:)
"Taupe (pronunciation: /ˈtoʊp/ tohp) is a dark tan color in-between brown and gray. The word derives from the French noun taupe meaning "mole". The name originally referred only to the average color of the French mole, but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades.
champagne - colour of Champagne wine, Champagne being a region, and French control of brand names prohibits wine makers from other countries and regions from using the place name (except I think some places where the French Champagne houses have planted the vines and supervised the methods, made the profits, whatever), although you can use the words methode Champenoise, which means made in the same way, from the same method, but not from the same area -
Colours have official numbers and names. You can get a colour chart online or from a supplier of paints.
Film Noir - black film - film with sad, serious, somber subject
Eminence gris -grey / gray, shadowy figure of influence
pinot gris - white grape
pinot noir - black grape (from Burgundy)
burgundy - wine colour from Burgundy
blanc - grape (grey) white - the wine world does not use the word green
noir - grape black
rouge - red wine
blanc - white wine - mispronunciation led to the British slang plonk
carte blanche - white card (notice the adjective in French is second) / free hand / do what you like
eminence grise - secret power behind the throne
French colour words:
yellow - jaune
silver - argent
gold - or
dark pink - cerise
rose - pink
Colour Words Used For Clothing and Paints
Beige - beige
creme - cream colour
taupe - the word taupe in ladies' clothing catalogues used to puzzle me. (Here is a description of the colour and the origin of the word From Wikipedia:)
"Taupe (pronunciation: /ˈtoʊp/ tohp) is a dark tan color in-between brown and gray. The word derives from the French noun taupe meaning "mole". The name originally referred only to the average color of the French mole, but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades.
"Taupe is a vague color term which may refer to almost any grayish-brown or brownish-gray, but true taupe is difficult to pinpoint as brown or gray.
"According to the Dictionary of Color, the first use of "taupe" as a color name in English was in the early 19th century; but the earliest citation recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1911."
vin jaune - straw colour, yellow wine, from Jura, Savoie, eastern France bang up against Switzerland (expensive, £30-£50 - high quality with expensive production costs)champagne - colour of Champagne wine, Champagne being a region, and French control of brand names prohibits wine makers from other countries and regions from using the place name (except I think some places where the French Champagne houses have planted the vines and supervised the methods, made the profits, whatever), although you can use the words methode Champenoise, which means made in the same way, from the same method, but not from the same area -
Colours have official numbers and names. You can get a colour chart online or from a supplier of paints.
blanc de blanc - sparkling wine made purely from white grapes (Chardonnay)
blanc de noir - white sparkling wine made from black grapes (usually pinot noir and M e u n i e r - sorry, I have had to make this word appear with spaces because spellcheck turned this word into meaner)
Most champagne has more black grapes than white grapes even though it's a white voice
Château Neuf du pape = new chateau (notice the adjective comes second) of the pope or father of the Catholic church
blanc - white
blanche - feminine of white / girl's name
Clairette - old grape variety originally used to make Claret, which gave the name Claret
blanc de noir - white sparkling wine made from black grapes (usually pinot noir and M e u n i e r - sorry, I have had to make this word appear with spaces because spellcheck turned this word into meaner)
Most champagne has more black grapes than white grapes even though it's a white voice
Château Neuf du pape = new chateau (notice the adjective comes second) of the pope or father of the Catholic church
blanc - white
blanche - feminine of white / girl's name
Clairette - old grape variety originally used to make Claret, which gave the name Claret
blanc de blanc - white wine from white grape
Just to let you know, Angela Lansbury is my pen name but also my real name. I was nee (French for born, double e for feminine) Lansbury.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons, teacher, tutor, author, speech trainer, speaker.
Popular Grammarian at Toastmasters International speakers' clubs in the UK, China and Singapore.
Author of: Quick Quotations; Who Said What When? ; Wedding Speeches and Toasts.
Just to let you know, Angela Lansbury is my pen name but also my real name. I was nee (French for born, double e for feminine) Lansbury.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons, teacher, tutor, author, speech trainer, speaker.
Popular Grammarian at Toastmasters International speakers' clubs in the UK, China and Singapore.
Author of: Quick Quotations; Who Said What When? ; Wedding Speeches and Toasts.
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