Meilleurs voeux

exp. – best wishes
It’s now the new year and for at least the first week or even longer people are still wishing you a happy one. Here they say more than just that, “Bonne Anneé, bon santé, meilleurs voeux” meaning happy new year, good health, best wishes, etc. The greeting can go on for quite some time and because it’s a mouthful sometimes I just reply with a “Vous aussi!” or “You, too!”

I admit I cheat a little from time to time with my French. It’s good, but not perfect and there are times when I don’t really understand exactly what people are saying to me even if get the overall sense of it. I’ve perfected the act of nodding of my head in earnest and matching their expressions so if they’re smiling or laughing, I know they’ve said something funny or ironic and I smile along with them.

Sometimes, but rarely, I get caught. The other day my friend used an expression I didn’t understand and laughed so I laughed too. And then he asked how we would say the same thing in English. Oops! I looked pensive as if trying to think of said expression and asked for him to repeat it again. Luckily the second time I actually understood so I was in the clear.

It’s not that I want to trick people; it’s more that it saves time in a conversation. I don’t like to have to keep interrupting the flow unless I’m really lost. And most people speak clearly enough since they know French isn’t my native tongue so that I can understand, reformulating words into simpler versions suited for foreigners.

My father-in-law however uses many archaic expressions and loves play-on-words. It’s a killer! For this reason, my husband has nicknamed him the sniper. He’ll sit there quietly, think of a funny play-on-word or joke, then pop up and interject it with a twinkle in his eye. Even if I don’t get it, seeing how pleased he is with himself always makes me giggle. And as my French has improved I've even been able to come back with some of my own zingers which he gets a big kick out of.

More and more things have become clearer to me here. I’ve come a long way since arriving a year ago and have a great feeling about this new year and new decade as I believe many people do. So bonne anneé a tous, bon santé et mes meilleurs voeux!