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Struggling to break through the language barrier? Maybe we can help. Heard, seen or said something that made you giggle? We'd love to hear about it.

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martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

I ordered something yesterday to be delivered to my old place (in 76) today by Amazon's "premium" service. It didn't come, and the tracking says that it has been delivered to a relais, 10 kms away, who say they don't have it.

I sent off a narking email to Amazon, choosing, exceptionally, their "nark in English" option: I can do most everyday things in French, but find extreme exasperation hard to calibrate. I certainly did calibrate it in English, because I got a very quick response saying that a new item had been sent off, express delivery, with profuse apologies.

They said it would be sent to

"999 Imp of the Fund's Trousers
123456 Chateau Nulle-part"

My actual address is

"999 Imp(asse) du Fond des Chausses
etc"

I live at a "lieu-dit" called Le Fond des Chausses, and have spent decades trying to work out what is the best translation for "chausses": it is an obsolete word (surviving in the diminutive as "chaussette")) for some sort of baggy medieval garment for the legs. "Trousers" is probably as good as anything. But "Fund's" is certainly no good for "Fond des".

I do hope they use the French when they print the address label.
Last edited by martyn94 on Sat 06 Sep 2014 20:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Kate
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Post by Kate »

Ha ha. Love it. These quick fix translation sites have given me some great lUghs in the past.
Here's one that the mairie of Casteil sent me last year :lol:
http://www.anglophone-direct.com/Fete-d ... ne-Casteil?
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