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2. Absolute Beginner #5 - Bistrot Français: The Most Intuitive French Verb
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3. Absolute Beginner #6 - Bistrot Français: How to Mind Your Manners in French Cinemas

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Our idiom today is:

“Il n’y a pas le feu au lac”

“No need to rush”

Growing up in Southern France I would hear that idiom a lot.

Why Southern France? Because that’s where things go slowly. That’s where the turtle is considered one of the fastest animals…that’s where you take the time to enjoy every minute of your free time while doing pretty much nothing. That’s where impatient Parisians are driven crazy.

See? I am from Southern France and it takes me forever to get to the point here!

But wait…What does “Il n’y pas le feu au lac” mean exactly?

It literally means “The lake is not on fire”, which I find to be a very clever way to say “No need to rush”. Don’t you think it’s clever? I wonder who came up with that one. Someone clever. “The lake is not on fire” implies that there is no emergency, no reason to rush since the lake is not and will NEVER set on fire. You get the idea.

In which context should you use this idiom?

Well, you generally say “Il n’y a pas le feu au lac” when you feel rushed or pushed by someone. It’s a way to let this person know that he or she is being impatient without a good reason. You are telling this person “Slow down, slow down.”

The first time I heard this come out of my father’s mouth, I replied: “Which lake?”

I was not being clever or ironic. I was four.

French style, French idioms, French theatre, French fries, French politics, French chauvinism, French cinéma, French language, French strikes, French hair products, French news, French Antiques…

There will be French.

1 post a week on the FrenchPod101.com blog is how we’ll start it.

1 post a week, donc. Some will deal with linguistic matters, some will discuss your future trip to France, some will let you  know about French events, some will share anecdotes à la française, some will fill up your bookshelf with new literature…

Oh, that’s right: who am I?

I am Virginie. And oh yes I am French. I am the one who says But of course! and Sacrebleu!. I am the French Ambassador to FrenchPod101.com.

But…who are you?

Well you are the curious one. The one who craves cheese updates, the one who wants to understand why French people are so French, the one who wants to know what is going on in Mirepoix, the one who lives in Vladivostok but still wants to learn French, the one who wants to impress his French in-laws with idioms, the one who wants to gossip about the French president’s wife.

Anyway…we’ll get to know each other.
Now… all these posts will need to find a breathe, to come to life. They will need attention. Like princesses. They will depend on you, on what you think, on what you’ve experienced, on what you want to hear about…in short they will need you to comment on them. They will need friends. Don’t we all?

So…welcome to the French Bazaar! We dusted it today for your first visit, and we certainly hope you’ll find that precious nugget of information that you’ve always wanted! Now is time to chiner!

The Roman Catholic faith recognizes the Assumption of Mary as their customary belief that the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven physically after her death. It is believed that Mary’s body and soul underwent a unification process and was then transported into the heavens.

The Assumption of Mary became a day of feasting in celebration of the return of Mary to the heavenly realm. For those who celebrate this festival on August 15th of each year, it is a holy day of their obligations to their faith.

The Roman Catholic and Christian Orthodox believe that Jesus’ promise that he would go away and prepare a place for his disciples and come back again to receive them into glory, was also referring to Mary’s entrance into the heavens. There are others that don’t believe this dogma and feel that Christ was only referring to his death and resurrection through the cross.

The word Assumption in the Latin language means “taken up,” and was adopted into the Roman Catholic faith in the fifth century as part of the pledge made by Jesus to fulfill the heavenly ascension of Mary.

The Assumption of Mary became an established tradition and teaching in the church even throughout the seventh century. It continues to be a theological controversy of historical propensity and the church has not totally embraced its teaching.

There are still questions today if Mary died before her Assumption or if she was assumed before her death. The Roman Catholic allow both of these beliefs to be considered. The Assumption of Mary is believed to be a gift from God to believers that Mary was the “Mother of God.”

There are those who believe that Mary finished her life as an example to the human race and made an impact on people who truly believe in God and the role that Christ played when he was on earth.

The Assumption of Mary is considered to be Mary’s heavenly birthday celebrated by many Catholics every year on August 15th. Her assumption symbolizes the fact that all Christians who endured until the end would experience the same fate as Mary did – ascending to heaven.