Blogue Anglocom

Copywriting tips | Is ChatGPT ready to take over?

site-admin@bang-marketing.com (bangmarketing) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:28 GMT

Getting ChatGPT to write stuff is everyone’s favourite new game. Especially for those of us who love to play with language.

French Words That Are Hard to Translate into English (II) - Anglocom

ghamilton@anglocom.com (grant) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:27 GMT

Here are more French words that tend to stump native English speakers. As we saw in Part I of this series, every linguistic group perceives and describes reality a little differently. What’s normal in one language (saying that a child has been “good,” for example) can seem strange in another (in French, well-behaved children are sage, or “wise”). That’s why it’s important to understand what makes a language tick. French is full of abstract concepts. English, on the other hand, loves verbs and compelling images. The more of them you use, the more your English will seem spontaneous and natural. Let’s look at a few examples.

Translation tips | A guide to false plurals in English

Mathias Saint-Jean — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:25 GMT

It is tempting to think of plurals as a simple concept that is always the same in every language. After all, it’s just a matter of counting. Once you get to two, you need a plural. But English behaves otherwise! Some English words look plural but are singular in meaning. Don’t let an s at the end trip you up! Instead, learn how these false plurals work.

Crossroads

The literal meaning of crossroads is where two roads intersect. It can also mean turning point. In both cases, it keeps the final s even in the singular: I was at a crossroads in my career (J’étais à un tournant de ma carrière).

Customs

When customs refers to inspections at the border, the word is always singular: Customs is very strict about alcohol (La douane surveille de près les entrées d’alcool).

Means

When the s is dropped, this noun becomes an adjective meaning “unkind” or “median.” To keep the meaning of resources or method, the s must stay, even in the singular: This is just a means to an end (Il ne s’agit là que d’un moyen d’arriver à mes fins).

News

The news is bad (Les nouvelles sont mauvaises). Anything related to the concept of information is always singular in English. Don’t be fooled by the final s in news, which is indeed a singular noun.

Outdoors

The literal meaning of outdoors is on the other side of the doors, but often it implies any place away from human habitation. You also hear the great outdoors and out-of-doors. All of these expressions always remain singular: The great outdoors has real appeal for tourists (La nature revêt un grand intérêt pour les touristes).

Savings

Despite its final s, savings can be singular: This price represents a savings of $100 (Ce prix représente une économie de 100 $). It is also encountered in the plural: We enjoyed great savings on all our purchases (On a fait de belles économies sur tous nos achats).

Series

Even when it’s clear from the context that the subject is singular, series always has an s on the end: The BBC has just launched a new series (La BBC vient de lancer une nouvelle série).

Shambles

Here’s a fun word guaranteed to make an impression! Shambles means mess or chaos, and is always preceded by the indefinite article a: The room was a shambles (La pièce était sens dessus dessous); What a shambles! (Quelle pagaille!); The city was a shambles after the earthquake (La ville présentait un spectacle de dévastation après le tremblement de terre).

Species

Another example that can go either way: Three species of birds live on the island (Trois espèces d’oiseau habitent l’île); Scientists have discovered a new species (Les scientifiques ont découvert une nouvelle espèce).

Ways

A holdover from the English genitive, the singular ways is used mostly in the expression a ways to go (du chemin à faire). Despite its strange appearance, it’s more common than you might think. Look it up on the Internet and you’ll find tens of thousands of examples.

Plural lookalikes appear in other contexts, too.

Nouns ending in “ics”

Examples are plentiful: physics (physique), gymastics (gymnastique), economics (économie), mathematics (mathématiques), politics (politique), aerobics (aérobie), athletics (athlétisme, sport), linguistics (linguistique), logistics (logistique), and so on. Each of these is a singular noun.

Certain country names

Countries are always considered a single entity, even if the name looks plural. One such case is the United States: The United States is a world power (Les États-Unis sont une puissance mondiale). Other examples are the Philippines, the Virgin Islands (les îles Vierges), the Bahamas, etc.

Certain conditions or diseases

This category includes measles (la rougeole), mumps (les oreillons), herpes (l’herpès), rabies (la rage), and even the creeps (la chair de poule) and the jitters (la frousse or le trac). These last two do not often appear as the subject of a verb and are sometimes treated as plurals.

Quantities

Any quantity of things or amount of money, however high or low, is singular: Two hundred dollars is enough (Deux cents dollars suffiront). English only uses a plural verb if each element is considered separately: Two hundred five-dollar bills were on the table (Deux cents billets de cinq dollars se trouvaient sur la table).

A special case

Last, a word that isn’t even a noun, but that has an intriguing final s all the same: unawares. As you know, without an s unaware is an adjective meaning uninformed in the sense of not knowing: He was unaware of the danger (Il était inconscient du danger); I am not unaware that… (Je ne suis pas sans savoir que…) So where does this s come from, given that English adjectives don’t agree with their nouns? It’s actually an adverb that means without being aware of and it’s used mostly with the verb to catch: He was caught unawares (On l’a pris au dépourvu or à l’improviste). A subtle nuance!

Traps to avoid when translating "compter sur" into English

ghamilton@anglocom.com (grant) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:21 GMT

Compter sur is often reflexively translated as count on or rely

We have often noted that the verb compter sur is reflexively translated as “count on” or “rely.” In many cases this translation is correct, such as here:

Anglocom president guest lecturer at American Translators Association conference - Anglocom

ghamilton@anglocom.com (grant) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:17 GMT

Anglocom president Grant Hamilton will be making two presentations at the annual conference of the American Translators Association (ATA), taking place in Washington, DC, October 25 to 28, 2017.

Tips | The word “French” has many connotations in English

Mathias Saint-Jean — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:14 GMT

“Because of Cubbie’s support for our troops, we no longer serve French fries. We now serve freedom fries.”
(Sign placed in the window of Cubbie’s restaurant in Beaufort, North Carolina, 2002.)

For most English speakers, the French language—and even the word French itself—has always been associated with elegance and graceful living. Being able to pepper conversations with French says a lot about how cultured, educated, and sophisticated you are. Whether you’re talking about fashion (haute couture), food (nouvelle cuisine), literature (roman à clef), theater (entr’acte), art (trompe l’œil), or politics (coup d’État), French loanwords are everywhere. But this French polish hides a completely different reality that the Iraq war brought to light some fifteen years ago in the U.S.

A third-rate nation?

U.S. congressman Pete King once said that he and his fellow citizens had “the feeling that we’ve been a public punching bag for too long by a third-rate nation like France and the only question is what we should do about it.”

Mr. King said aloud what some of his fellow citizens must have been thinking deep down, if the chain reaction to France’s refusing to get involved in the Iraq war is anything to go by. Bob Ney, the then-congressman from Ohio, ordered the word “French” stricken from all menus on Capitol Hill. In West Palm Beach, Florida, the owner of a bar poured all his French wine out onto the street and announced he would only serve wine “from countries that support U.S. foreign policy.” Boycotts were organized, barriers were built, debates grew heated.

Yet chastising the French has been an actual part of the English language for centuries! Let’s take a look:

When you think French, think suspicious

Describing something as “French” in English often denotes something suspicious or questionable.

The entry for the word French in the Oxford English Dictionary specifies that the adjective is used “in various venereal disease names”: French pox (syphilis) in 1503, French marbles (syphilitic testicles) in 1592, French mole (skin rash) in 1607, French measles (roseola) in 1612, amorous French aches (lovesickness) in 1664, French goods (venereal disease in general) in 1678, French complement in 1688, and French gout in 1700. Condoms have been called French letters or French caps.

For many years, French crown was used to describe bald spots caused by syphilis, to be frenchified meant to contract a venereal disease, and French sores were the physical markers of the disease.

And who hasn’t heard of French kissing, an activity that all dignified young English ladies should avoid at all costs! In response to Peter King’s remarks, a journalist for the Canadian newspaper National Post joked—at least we hope it was a joke—that Americans should switch French kissing for liberty licking instead!

At one time, people used the term French postcards to describe pornographic images. An English woman who lived with a French man was described as French by injection. And even today, when we swear, we excuse ourselves by saying pardon my French.

When the French duck out…

The expression to take French leave also leaves a less-than-flattering impression. It is said to derive from the French custom of leaving a function without saying goodbye to the host. The expression gained currency after the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), which saw New France fall into English hands, when it was frequently used to describe a soldier who deserted his regiment.

…the English get jealous

These insults aside, it’s undeniable that English speakers view French as the language of love. Their tendency to associate the word French with sexual activities is just one example. Howard Richler, a former columnist at the Montreal Gazette, gives a more positive example with this romantic dialogue from the Woody Allen film Bananas:

Woody Allen: I love you, I love you.
Louise Lasser: Oh, say it in French! Oh, please, say it in French!
Woody: I don’t know French.
Louise: Oh, please… please!
Woody: What about Hebrew?
Louise [disappointed]: Oh.

When you think French, think luxury

Even if there were many calls at the time to boycott French products in the U.S., French was still synonymous with luxury and sophistication: French cuisine, French cuff, French window, French heel, French horn. Or products like fine wine, fine cheese, truffles, perfume, haute couture, and all the many other treasures that hail from the land of baguettes and berets. New York University scholar Tony Judt, who has written extensively on French culture, posits that for Americans, “France stands for everything they like about Europe and feel insecure about.”

Anglophones have always had a quintessential love-hate relationship with France and French people. The singer and American expat Josephine Baker summed it up nicely when she said, “I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely.”

But don’t be fooled—the French know how to defend themselves and can give as good as they get. French letters are referred to as capotes anglaises (English caps) in French. Avoir ses anglais (the English are visiting) is a slang way to say you have your period. And if a guest dares leave a party without saying goodbye to the host, the French don’t hesitate to say that il a filé à l’anglaise (he beat an English retreat)!

Feeling a Bit Less Dynamic These Days? - Anglocom

site-admin@bang-marketing.com (bangmarketing) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:11 GMT

Dynamique and dynamisme are frequent in French. Although their English lookalikes share the same meanings—full of energy or full of new and exciting ideas (“a dynamic leader”) or constantly changing (“a dynamic process”)—they can sound unnatural at times. So we’ve put together 59 different examples illustrating the many possibilities you can pick from.

Copywriting tips | A guide to restaurants menus

Mathias Saint-Jean — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:10 GMT

Two tourists visiting the United States are sitting in a restaurant. The “small bruschetta” on the appetizer menu looks good, so one of them orders it. Imagine their surprise when an entire baguette shows up, cut into big hunks of bread and smothered in melted mozzarella and chopped tomatoes. A meal in itself!

Is this how people in America eat? Well, they’re certainly a generous people. And they can be over the top. So maybe they just like things to be bigger and better when they dine out. Let’s take a look at American culinary tradition and see…

What’s on the menu?

To understand America a little better, just look at some of their menus. For example, you don’t just order oysters, you ask for the finest tasting oysters available from the cold Atlantic waters. The salmon is not some simple filet, but a generous, hand-cut filet broiled perfectly with butter and lemon. The ice cream isn’t topped with just chocolate sauce, but with a sinful cascade of hot fudge. Yum!

Americans don’t skimp on quantity either. Mere sandwiches are not enough, they have to be two-handed sandwiches. Desserts are large enough to share! Your slice of apple pie contains roughly half an orchard. (No kidding, this is quoted from a menu at a Boston restaurant.) Bigger is always better!

Still hungry?

Legendary American hospitality is no doubt what motivates this generosity, which lets no corner of your stomach go unfilled. So your beef liver is served smothered in onions, your prime rib is the biggest in town, and your nachos are piled high with spicy chili sauce. A chain in the Midwest boasts that it serves burritos as big as your head!

Americans are not shy about touting their dishes. If they’re tasty and the ingredients are fresh, they feel the urge to say so—the most tender of steaks, grilled to perfection; yummy blue cheese dressing; a riot of fresh veggies; glorified (sic) chicken wings…

The French influence

France, the ultimate authority on fine dining, has also had an impact on the U.S. For example, food traceability and eating local have become much more important. Labels now indicate pure Vermont maple syrup, Wisconsin farmhouse cheese, baked Idaho potatoes, and genuine Florida orange juice.

Like the French, Americans drink wine, and increasingly so with all the great wines coming out of California and other states. However, some of the descriptors are, to put it mildly, surprising: brawny, broad-shouldered, killer Cab, chewy, decadent. The American magazine Wine Spectator had the following quote from wine critic Robert Parker: St. Francis is better because it’s making monster, pedal to the metal, full-throttle Zinfandels.

When it comes to vocabulary, Americans borrow freely from the French language: sauté, purée, hors d’œuvre (often pronounced in the plural, hors d‘œuvres), filet mignon, etc. If the dishes are inspired by French cuisine, French terminology abounds: vinaigrette, brunoise, crème fraîche, mille-feuille, court-bouillon, tuile, and so on. This is handy in certain cases as it’s a good way of hiding what the ingredient really is. Savoring escargots is one thing, chomping down on snails is quite another! Or how about the steakhouse that describes a cut of beef as a petite sirloin to avoid saying that it’s small!

Interestingly, for complete meals, we often see the expression prix fixe, in French, although in France today we say formule or menu and in Quebec, table d’hôte.

Restaurant service

There are also a few differences with respect to restaurant service, especially for the French (in Quebec, American-style service is often de rigueur). First of all, dinner starts earlier, around 6 or 7 p.m. Some restaurants even offer Early Bird Specials starting at 5 p.m. or earlier. Your server may also address you in quite a familiar tone: How are you folks tonight? My name is Peter and I’ll be your server tonight. Everything is so casual!

When the meal arrives, you’ll probably hear the server say Enjoy! And if there’s still food on your plate when they come to clear the table, they may ask you, Still working on that? Don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re inquiring about your job.

If you are “still working on it,” possibly because the portions are so big, the server will probably offer you a doggy bag so you—not your dog—can finish your meal at home.

Language on menus in the U.S. is like the American people—generous, exuberant, and bigger than life. Next time you visit, keep a lookout for how the American character affects the spoken and written language of Americans.

Dozens of ideas for translating "insight" into French - Anglocom

site-admin@bang-marketing.com (bangmarketing) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:09 GMT

French translators are not particularly fond of the word insight. It can be tough to translate.