Well, it’s 4:30 in the morning. I don’t plan on getting any sleep tonight. I’ve been grading papers/writing tests/working on lesson plans since about two yesterday afternoon and I’m still not done. Admittedly, there was laundry-doing mixed in there along with some time fixing food and the like, but still, it grows old. I plan on grading two more classes’ worth of work in addition to writing up two more worksheets for three of my classes before having to head in to the office early so I can make photocopies of tests for three of my four classes today. The fourth class will be taking their chapter exam the day we get back from Thanksgiving break. Dippy.
Some fun random Frenchie things while I’m thinking about it:
- My students keep writing the French word for beach, “plage” as “plague.” It’s amusing.
- Hommasse (also spelled homasse) is a masculine woman. The root word is “homme,” man. Conversely, femmelette is a feminine man where the root word is “femme,” woman. Why is the woman’s term based on the word “man” and the man’s term based on the word “woman?” They have perfectly good suffixes that would switch the genders the other way. I should know. I wrote a thesis on the subject.
- My students keep writing in their journals how fascinated they are by the fact that the French consider drunkeness to be rude if not downright insulting and offensive. I guess my students figured that since the French drink on a regular basis over there that they must all be lushes. Odd, isn’t it, that it’s just the other way around where here in the States people don’t tend to drink as often but do so to get drunk whereas the French drink more often but avoid getting drunk?
- If I see “français” written one more time as “françois” (The French form of “Francis”) or “francis” (The English form of “François”) one more time, I think I’ll scream.
- I’m a big fan of the word “chiasse,” diarrhea. Dunno why. It just sounds good to shout out when I’m annoyed.
Well, that was enough of a break from grading, I think. Time for another cuppa. I’m thinking maybe Prince of Wales this time. Au revoir!