I am looking for a resource that will help me translate contemporary
French idiomatic or slang words or expressions.

Hello finler-ga,

Here are some online resources you can use.

The French Language guide on About.com has assembled several
resources, including a few French-English slang lists.

"Slang Dictionaries and Resources", by Laura K. Lawless, Guide to
French Language
About.com
http://french.about.com/cs/argotfranaisf/index.htm

The following "alternative" dictionary also links to Quebecois and
Haitian Creole French dictionaries.

"The Alternative French Dictionary"
The Alternative Dictionaries
http://www.notam02.no/~hcholm/altlang/ht/French.html

This next dictionary gives the slang translations into English and
standard French.

"French slang"
The World Slang Database
http://www.coolslang.com/in/France/index.php

The following lists are submitted by individuals.

"French slang"
Everything2.com
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=French%20slang

Finally, here are two lists of French idioms.

"Expressions Idiomatiques"
French Idioms
http://www.one.under.btinternet.co.uk/list.html

"French Idiomatic Expressions"
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh French Club
http://www.uwosh.edu/french/idiom.html

I hope that this information is helpful.

- justaskscott-ga


Search terms used on Google:

french slang
french idioms

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Request for Answer Clarification by finler-ga on 31 Jan 2003 10:51 PST

Thank you for your reply.  I had better provide you with the whole
story.  I am looking for a free resource on the internet providing the
same kind of reference capability as I would have if I had the hard
copy dictionary before me.  What I simply need is an up to date
french-english dictionary that usually provides, as appropriate, a
some of the currently used expressions involving the use of the
particular word.  For example - I ran into the word "fac".  Never
heard it or saw it in print.  Again - "bonne-maman". No luck.

It might help if I told you how all this comes up.  I am hearing
handicapped and it is frequently difficult for me to understand spoken
English unless I am being addressed directly.  When playing DCDz I
look for English subtitles when they are available so that I might
follow the conversation if it goes too fast for my ears.  Lacking
English subtitles, if available I use French, in which I am reasonably
fluent (and a little better than the average tourist.)  I recently
played "When Harry Met Sally" and the contemporary French I was
hearing and reading, in ordinary exchanges among young people,
included a great many turns of phrase and non-regular word usage.  I
copied many of those words etc that I was unfamilar with and need a
reference source to readily translate or display the usage - no big
deal when you have the "regular" dictionary in your hand - but I am
looking for such a resource on the internet.  The references you sent
me appear mostly to be limited word lists and even at least one of
them misses.  I offer you one example - the frequently encountered
expression "je m'en fou" is the close equivalent of our "I don't give
a damn".  It is derived from the word foudre - meaning to penetrate -
which is on one of the lists with its slang meaning but there is no
reference to the idiomatic expression I just offered.  I hope you now
know what I am after.  Thanks - sdf

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Clarification of Answer by justaskscott-ga on 31 Jan 2003 11:52 PST

It does not appear that there is yet a French-English dictionary
online that is as comprehensive as the unabridged dictionaries in book
form.  (After all, if the information were online for free, the
publishers might have to go out of business! ;-) )  However, the
following dictionary seems pretty good for your purposes: it defines
"fac" and "bonne-maman", as well as "je-m'en-foutisme"
and "je-m'en-foutiste".

"French / English dictionary"
French Linguistics
http://www.french-linguistics.co.uk/dictionary/

You might also consider purchasing a CD-ROM version of the unabridged
dictionaries.