ABSTRACT
C n. f. De la C: ‘Coke’, ‘snow’, cocaine. ça dem. pron. A familiar contraction of cela, this pronoun’s colloquiality is commensurate with context and usage. 1 Sex, sexual matters. Faire ça: To ‘have it off’. Ne penser qu’à ça: To have a one-track mind. 2 Ah, ça?! Who knows?!— God only knows! Ah, ça?! Te dire s’il va venir?! Search me! I don’t know if he’s coming! 3 Comme ça (form of ‘verbal padding’): So… Alors, comme ça elle me dit…et je lui réponds comme ça…: So I says to her…and she says to ec… Alors comme ça, vous vous mariez? So you’re getting married then? 4 Et avec ça! (iron.): Get away! —Go on with you!—You’re joking?! Il ne picole pas?! Et avec ça! Him on the wagon? You must be joking! 5 C’est ça! Right on! You’ve got it in one! 6 C’est tout à fait ça: That’s just the job.— That’s just what I want. 7 Ce n’est pas tout ça, mais…: That’s all very well, but… Cen’est pas tout ça, mais moi, il faut que je rentre: It’s O.K. for you (to talk), but I’ve got to get home. 8 Avoir de ça: To be ‘loaded’, to have plenty of money (also: avoir de quoi). 9 Il y a de ça! There’s some truth in it! Il y a de ça! Tu sais, son mariage n ‘est pas des plus réussis: You’re not far off the truth! She’s not all that happily married. 10 Il n’y a que ça: There’s nothing like it!—You can’t beat it! Un bon cigare à la fin d’un repas, ‘y a que ça! A good cigar at the end of a meal just makes it perfect. 11 Remettre ça: To have another. Alors, on remet ça? C’est ma tournée! Let’s have another drink, it’s my round! cab n. m. (abbr. cabot): ‘Mutt’, ‘pooch’, dog. cabane n. f. 1 ‘Nick’, ‘clink’, jail. Faire de la cabane: To do time. (The word is an abbreviated version of la cabane aux mille lourdes.) 2 (joc.): House (often a résidence secondaire or weekend dwelling). The tongue-in-cheek jocularity derives from the primary meaning: shack, equated with the grandeur of the residence described. 3 Attiger la cabane: To ‘lay it on a bit thick’, to exaggerate. cabanon n. m. 1 Modest weekend dwelling. (The word originates from the Côte d’Azur.) 2 ‘Nut-house’, lunatic asylum. Il est bon pour le cabanon! He’s just about ready for the happy farm! cabêche n. f. ‘Bean’, ‘brainbox’, head. N’avoir rien dans la cabêche: To be pigignorant.
