Story in French, level C2
First winter in Montréal
Max has just moved to Canada in the middle of January.
Watch the video, 49 secondsMax a débarqué à Montréal en plein janvier, une casquette sur la tête.
Max arrived in Montréal in mid-January with a baseball cap on his head.
La serveuse du casse‑croûte l’a toisé de haut en bas :
The waitress at the snack bar looked him up and down.
« Y va faire frette en maudit à soir. Attache ta tuque avec de la broche ! »
"It’ll be bloody freezing tonight. Tie your woolly hat on with wire!"
Consciencieux, Max a filé s’acheter une tuque… et du fil de fer.
Careful Max rushed off to buy a woolly hat... and some wire.
Le lendemain, il gelait à pierre fendre. Max est revenu, la tuque ficelée sous le menton :
The next day, it was bitterly cold. Max returned, his hat tied under his chin.
« Merci du conseil : elle n’a pas bougé ! »
"Thanks for the advice. It didn’t budge!"
Meaning: brace yourself.
Attache ta tuque avec de la broche !
Brace yourself! Literally: tie your woolly hat on with wire.
Good to know
Québec usage: frette means very cold; à soir means tonight.
Which expression have you taken literally? Tell us in the comments.
