France - a few key vehicle phrases

[Evsi]

The only phrase that my mate kept coming out with in France (he likes a drink bless him....) "was Meine Forelle blau ist kaputt"

I did mention this was German and made no sense at all, but it didn't seem to distract hime much!

[getunder]

When my brakes failed going down into Andorra due to overheating coming up the Pyrenees I pulled into a No Parking area to let them cool down. I looked up the French words for My Brakes Have Failed plus a few vernacular extra words like Kaput etc., when along comes a pistol packing Andorran Policewoman who despite being only 10 miles from France did not understand a word of French and in no uncertain tems ordered me to move.
By then there was some braking and there was a campsite uphill fortunately which I gingerly drove to being ready to pump the brakes which helped. Overheating was due to the Thermostat not opening on my Aircooled.
When reporting a breakdown on widely separated dual carriageway motorways always specify which side you are on otherwise you wait for hours and nobody turns up I found.
There must be something in the Police Training Manual that says it is forbidden to learn English.

[skysurfin09]

Can someone post up this little book provided by the AA, I've tried googling it but to no avail? Rob

[skysurfin09]

Is it AA European Drivers Handbook? Please say it is as I've just bought it.

[tetleysid]

Er guys I don't want to freak you out further but there is the small detail of pronunciation to navigate too. For example: ........

Joint would be ......... shwooant

Friens (brakes) ............ fwans

piston ........ peesto(h)

le tuyau d'echappement (exhaust pipe) ......... le tueeyo day shapmon.

le boulon (bolt) .......... lay boolong

AND most important .......... vin ........van

[ghost123uk]

Ta for that - I am glad I have Gill with me as she is pretty good at French.

A couple of years ago, before we found our nice little rural bungalow in this here rural village, we were thinking of moving to France, so we went to night school to learn, just really as a "proof of concept" and between that and Gill teaching me, I proved I could do it reasonably well. It will come back once I am there I am sure

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There seem to be quite a few on here going there soon, we should arrange a French 80-90 mini meet