I Have the Hen’s Bumps or a Month of French Idioms From A to Z

I love to read and listen to people even more than I like to write.

Sentences stop me in my tracks when they flow, roll and dance in my head.

Metaphors and similes take my breath away when they perfectly echo feelings and emotions.

And I’m a sucker for popular idiomatic expressions, so distinct from one culture to another.

When I moved from France to the USA, I knew enough English grammar and some vocabulary to get by, but I was far from being fluent.

Everyone was so patient when I tried to understand and be understood.

Some people complimented me on my English. No kidding.

And often I made many smile when I translated word for word the French idioms that I tried to apply to the conversation.

My first one: I announced to my daughter’s preschool teacher that I had the hen’s bumps because it was cold that day.

“And I have the goosebumps,” she said with a smile.

So, in memory of my early challenging (and often funny) moments in the States, I will post every day for the whole month of April a French idiom from A to Z, first with its literal translation and then its correct American equivalent.

My hope is to make you smile and maybe to teach you a little bit of French too.

Of course, as always, I’d love for you, Americans and French, to comment with your favorite idioms during the month of April.