When one studies a language in school or a class, one studies it as it should be....
Not as it is.
Take the, controversial, MessieurDame.
In France, one greets people with 'Bonjour Monsieur' or 'Bonjour Madame' upon meeting them for the first time, each day.
Here, in farm country, if there is both a man and a woman present, one hears Bonjour 'MessieurDame' to encompass both sexes or a group of people.
All of the Parisian wags instruct us non-native speakers to never, never, never say that.
All of the language gurus instruct us non-native speakers to speak the local language.
I was commenting on this to my s-i-l (who is visiting from the U.S.) and on other unexpected challenges.
Two weeks is not 'deux semaine' when speaking, but 'quinze jours' or fifteen days.
Similarly, one week is 'huit jours' or eight days.
Then my s-i-l brought up a reference to time that mon mari and I can't agree on:
If today is Tuesday, is the day that is 5 days in the future 'This Sunday'?
Or 'Next Sunday'?
I maintain that it's 'This Sunday' and that 'Next Sunday' refers to the day 'one week from this Sunday'.
Mon mari maintains that the first Sunday in our immediate future is 'Next Sunday'.
As you might guess, we have some awkward conversations in trying to determine the specific day we are talking about.
Me: Are you talking about 2 days from now or 9 days from now?
Mon mari: I'm talking about next Sunday - what's so difficult to understand? Sheesh!
Me; in an attempt to simplify: do you mean the 13th?
Mon mari: I don't know, I don't have a calendar.
Me, quietly in the corner, banging my head against the wall.....
But, really, what do you expect?
You know we are still trying to agree on the definition of salad...
Someone ought to write a book telling us what all the words mean... Wouldn't that be a novel idea?
I bet lots of people would buy it...
I know lots of people that should.... But we'll leave that rant for another day.
For this day, I have an old, favorite Pasta Salad, er, Dish. I've been making it for more years than I'm willing to admit, but, suffice it to say, at least 2 years before pasta salads were EVERYWHERE!
I actually quit making it for awhile.... Too 'common'.
I revived it the other day....Still good and a worthy pasta for Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights, which is back home at Once Upon A Feast this Friday. Check it out!
Picnic Pasta Salad
6 oz (200gr) sliced, hard salami
1 red onion
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup Greek dry-cured olives
4 oz mushrooms
2 stalks (ribs) celery
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
2 cups farfalle
1 tbs olive oil
Italian Vinaigrette
Cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, put into a large bowl (or back into the cooled pot) and toss with olive oil. Slice celery 1/4" (.5cm) thick, cut cherry tomatoes in half, and chop pepper. Add all three to pasta and toss lightly. Cut salami in half or into quarters. Peel and quarter the onion and slice thinly. Clean mushrooms and slice. Cut olives in halves or thirds. Put salami, mushrooms, onions and olives in another bowl and add vinaigrette. Allow to marinate, at room temperature, for 1 - 3 hours. Before serving add marinated vegetables to pasta and toss to combine. If not serving immediately, refrigerate to chill.
Italian Vinaigrette
1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white wine (tarragon) vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
5 tbs olive oil, the good stuff
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
Place mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. When all oil is in and emulsified, add herbs.
BTW: to the Brits 1 week is a sennight, and 2 weeks a fortnight... But that makes sense to me.
And 'Next Monday' aka: the Monday following 'This Monday'? Simple: 'Monday week'.
Hmmmm, they may have sorted this out.....
