In this post I will submit a few expressions that were used in my family and by others. From time to time these pop-up in my mind.
Dans ce post j’vas présenter quelques expressions qu’aient été usé (dans) par ma famille. De temps en temps celles-ci se levent subiment (tout d’un coup) dans mon esprit (idée).
Allons voir si vous-autres pourrai se rappeler de quelques unes.
“J’ai pas tout à fait fini avec mes leçons d’école.” (”I am not quite finished with my school home work (lessons).”
“T’as fini tirer* les vâches, mon enfant?” ” Pas tout à fait encore, pop.” (”Not totally as of yet, Dad.”)
*A variant for “tirer” in Cajun is “traire.” SF sames to be the same. However, I never heard it used as “traire” but you can see how it could have been changed to “tirer” over the years due to euphonics. “Tirer” is also used “to draw” something, like to “draw water from a well,” “to draw a curtain string,” ” to draw a card from a deck,” etc. Since “tirer” can mean to draw something, perhaps Cajuns used it in the sense of drawing milk from the cow. Anyway, language is changed over the years.
(NOT IN AUDIO BUT “TIRER” IN CAJUN CAN ALSO MEAN TO SHOOT A GUN OR THROW SOMETHING AT SOMEONE OR THING, SO BE CAREFUL IF YOU ARE ASKED TO GO AND “TIRER LES VÂCHES” THAT YOU DO NOT GO AND SHOOT THEM!
“Sur quel endroit de ton grand terrain tu vas bâtir ta maison?” (”On which place (lot) on your large plot of land will you build your home (house)?”
Le vieux homme s’a emporté équand il s’a aperçu que son porte-monnaie avait été soulevé. (The old man flew into a rage when he perceived that his wallet had been lifted.)
“J’ai fait ça à la dépêche, alors j’l'ai pas fait bien.” (”I made that in a hurry , therefore, I have not made it well.”)
“Soignez-vous-autres.” (”Take care of yourselves.” [Though vous-autres in Cajun is treated as a single entity, in this case, we use the present participle of "soigner" for the fifth person.]
“Soignes-toi.” (”Take care of thyself.”)
“Soignez-vous.” (”Take care of yourself.” ["Vous" for an older person, or for more than one. Usually though we would use "vous" only for older people, but for plural we would use "vous-autres."]
Pour son âge elle (alle) est bien portante. Pour son âge é (a) s’apporte toujour très bien. (For her age she is still in good health.) (For her age she carries herself (health-wise) very well still.) Pour son âge il est bien vivant. (For his age is is alive and kicking.)
Hé mon bébé gardes donc cette bonne nanane que j’ai (aie) pour toi! (Hey my baby (little one) look please at these goodies that I have for you!”
Depuis qu’ on a quitté la vieille place, alle (elle) est aprés tomber en gros-grain. (Since we left the old homestead it is falling into a rough, coarse state [delapidating].)
Mais, cher, ça c’est avoir ces côtes en longs! Mais, cher, ça c’est paresseux, (parreseuse) oui! (But, dear, that, that is having his ribs sideways [meaning of course he is on his side doing nothing, couch potato])
Le vieux monde des autrefois avaient (eurent) d’l'habitude de jouer des niches sure une et l’autre. (The old folks of years ago had the habit of playing practical jokes on one another.)
Arrêtes de bêtiser (bétiser) tit canaille! (Stop making foolishness, little imp [mischievous one].)
A (elle) se met dans du tracas parce qu’elle (alle) est tout l’temps aprés cancaner. (She puts [gets into] trouble because she is always gossiping.) A (é, elle) se met dans du tracas parce qu’alle (elle) est tout l’temps aprés bavarder. (She puts or [gets into] trouble because she is all the time gabbing.)
Ça, ça-là, là, c’est très dégoutant, oui! (That, that-there, that is very distasteful [disgusting, repulsive].)
J’m'ai dégouté de tout ça. (I have fed myself up, disgusted, no longer interested of all of that.)
Il ersemble (resemble) tout déchaîné! (He seems to be [resemble] one that is without restraint [unchained, loose and not in restraint or constrained].)
Ma grand- mère m’a gâté plusse* qu’elle a (ait) gaté mon tit frère. (My grandmother spoiled me more than she spoiled my little brother.)
*In Cajun we use “plusse que” for more than, not “plus que.”
Le lait va gâter (gâtera) si on le mettrait pas dans la glacière. (The milk will spoil if we do not put it in the refrigerator [icebox].) [At times we did not use the conitional [if, si] we just used the present participle of the verb with the same for “aller”, e.g. Le lait va gâter si on l’met pas dans la glacière.]
Arrêtez de faire ce train (bruit) mes enfants! (Stop making that noise, my children!) ** (see bottom of post)
Mais, ça c’est un brisefaire (brisefert) oui. (But, that, that is a destructive person, yes.)
Tu vas briser ce goblet (ce verre) mon garçon, si t’arrêterais pas le gogner contre la table. (You will shatter that glass (goblet) my boy, if you do not stop hitting it against the table.)
J’ai pas d’argent pour te donner asteur, j’sus tout broque. (I do not have any money to give you now [at this hour, time] I am all broke.)
J’vas buter (erbuter) sur tes bébelles, cher, si tu les ramasserais pas! (Si tu vas pas aller les ramasser!) (I will trip or stumble over your toys, dear, if you do not pick them up.) (If you do not go to pick them up.)
Le pauvre tit garçon, il s’a fait éhonté (il a eu honte) quand il a déchiré ses cullotes* pendant qu’il était aprés jouer à la pelote. (The poor little boy (lad), he was shamed when he tore his pants while playing ball.)
*For a pair of pants we had two nouns: la (les) culotte(s), le (les pantalons. For the generic for “pants” we used “les culottes,” for the finer dress pants we used “les pantalons,” or “les pantalons fines.”
Il est gone (parti) aprés son truck (camion). (He is gone (parted after his truck.) [Here are two English words that are incorporated in the Cajun language.]
Criez pas dans la maison, mes enfants, votre père est aprés dormir (il dort)! (Do not yell in the house, my children, your father is sleeping!)
Le bébé est aprés brailler parce qu’il a échappé son buberon. (The baby is bawling because that he has dropped his pacifier [nipple].)
Il est trop tard pour brailler (pleurer) aprés qu’on a (ait) cassé l’oeuf. (It is too late to cry after we [one has] have broken the egg.)
Il est un défenseur de portes grands ouverts. (He is a crasher of doors that are wide opened.)
Les femmes qui sont aprés piquer la quilte, sont aprés déchirer le ginghat. (The women folks who are quilting are tearing the gingham [grossly exaggerating].)
Vas t’en d’ici tite mignonne! (Go you from here, little cutie!)
Allez-vous en, de cette chambre. (You go away from this room.)
Pauvre petit grelot*. (Poor little fellow.)
*”le grelot” in SF is a “small bell,” une petite cloche.”
Il me fait penser d’une goûte d’eau, aprés grelotter sur une surface chaude. (He makes me think of (reminds me) a drop of water shivering* on a hot surface.) Il peut pas rester tranquil. (He cannot stay [remain still, tranquil].)
*In the audio I used “shimmering” rather than “shivering.” Oops! The drop of water may glisten while it is shivering, but not at all times. Merci.
J’ai assez faim, que mon ventre touche mon reintier. (I am so hungry that my stomach touches my backbone.) [In SF "la colonne vertébrate" seems to be used for "the backbone." For the lower back, Cajuns use "les reins" or "le bas du dos." For "the kidney" the word expression "le rein" is not used but rather "le pigroin."]
L’avare est mort avec la crève de faim, malgré qu’il avait un matlat plein d’argent. (The miser died due to starvation, despite his having a mattress full of money.)
Si tu irais dehors nu-tête, t(u)attaperas (vas attraper) un gros mal de tête. (If you were to go outside with nothing on your head [naked head] you will catch a big headache.)
Elle a pas (de) bonne mine. (She does not have a good appearance both in physical or otherwise in that.)
Ma peau ersemble une peau d’canard équand j’commence à avoir des frissons. (My skin resembles a duck’s skin (goose pimples) when I start to get chilled or chills.)
Mom, ton porte-monnaie se sen comme des roses ananas. (Mom your purse smells like some pineapple roses.)
Tu peux froncer ton front tout que tu veux (veuilles), j’connais que to me comprennes (comprends). (You can frown all that you want, I know that you understand me.)
Si tu voudrais bouder cules-toi d’ici! (If you want to pout, sulk, move yourself from here.)
C’est mieux de pendre une grosse babine, que t’aies un gros ventre! (It is better to hang a big lip (sulk) than to have a big belly [be with child out of wedlock!].)
La rose sur le rosier est très belle, mais ses épines sont très pointu. (The rose on the rose bush is very beautiful, but its thorns are very sharp.)
Tien Joseph, met ce clou d’giroffle dans ton mouchoir, et chiques sur l’autre qu’il nottoie ton souffle. (Here (hold) Joseph, put this whole clove in your handkerchief and chew on the other one so that it will clean your breath.)
Pop, le jeune monde d’aujourd’hui faisent (fait) pas leur cheveux coupé à la bol.! (Dad, the young (men) folk of today do not get a bowl-cut for their hair!)
J’veux pu apporter ces culottes à tablier, tous me padnats apportent des khakis, ou des blues jeans. (I do not want to wear these overalls, all my friends (partners, associates) wear some khakis or some blue jeans.)
Serres cette colle, tu vas tout engomer mon tapis. (Put this glue away, you will totally gum up my carpet.)
J’ai besoin de frotter ma peau avec d’huile de laine, parce qu’alle est racheuse comme un bois racheux. ( I have need of rubbing my skin with rubbing lanolin because it is rough like coarse wood.)
My mère a eu une rechute de sa maladie plutôt qu’une réchappe. (My mother had a relapse of her sickness rather than a recovery.)
J’m'en fichu (fiches) de rien, de cette affaire! (I could care less [nothing] about his matter [thing].)
Il a fait ça en friche. (He did that in a slip-shop manner.)
Hé tit bougre va donc chercher ma gazette à l’entrée (de l’avenue) de mon terrain. (Hey, little boy, chap, please go get my newspaper [that is] at the entrance of my [driveway] lot.)
Tu peux pas croire comment c’me fait d’la peine (ç’me donne d’la peine) de l(e)’voir ô si mal pris (mal pris autant). (You cannot believe how much pain it makes me [how much pain it gives me] to see him in trouble oh so much.)
J’peux pas faire à rien (rien). (I cannot do anything. [I can do nothing.]
J’vas t’acheter un tit à-rien tout neuf dans une boîte sans d’fond. (I will buy you a little nothing all new in a box without a bottom.)
Ça c’est un bon à-rien, oui! (That, that is a good for nothing, yes!)
Merci, cher. De rien. (Thank you, dear. Of nothing, or you are welcomed. Sometimes used instead of “il y a pas de quoi.”)
Ça m’fait pas rien d’aller plus tard. (It does not bother me of to go later.)
D’être à-rien faire est très dangereux. (Of being with nothing to do [idle] is dangerous.)
Hé tit bougre, ti peux pas me dire à-rien, t’es seulement un blanc-bec. (Hey chap, you cannot tell me anything, you are solely a greenhorn.)
Équand que tu vas paritr, (tu partes)? J’vas m’en aller demain matin. (When that you will leave? I will myself go tomorrow morning.)
Le vieux garçon et la vieille fille apprécient la vie sans d’avoir des enfants. (The old bachelor and the old maid appreciate life without having some children.)
Il est très humide* aujourd’hui. (It is very humid today.)
L’humanité* se comporte bien drôle (drôlement), il y a des fois. (Humanity behaves very strangely, at times.)
*The “h’s” in the adjective “humide” and in the noun”l’humanité” are not aspirated or pronounced.
J’vas publier plus dans cette manière plus tard. Si vous-autres pourrait jongler (penser) à des mots ou des ditants que vous-autres a entendu dire pendant la jeunesse, si vous plait envoyez-les à moi par moyen de mon e-mail. (En anglais ou en Cajun.) Merci, Jim Léger
I will publish more in this manner later. If you could think of some words or sayings that you have heard during your youth, please send them to me by means of my e-mail. (In English or Cajun) Thank you, Jim Léger
NOTE: I WILL CREATE A QUIZLET SET FOR THIS POST IN MY NEXT POST. IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ALONE.
**another expressions heard by one of my subscribers is “champ hoorah!” In my locale the expression “un grand hoorah” was used for all types of noise and noisy activities. This is what I hope to accomplish with my posts, to bring out of hiding many colorful Cajun expressions of the past!
