Last night A and L went to Planète Hollywood on the Champs-Elysées (why?) where there were hundreds of people and it took them two hours to get a pizza, but they enjoyed the ambience of the World Cup match on the big screen there. Half the crowd cheered the Italians and booed the Americans; half the crowd cheered the Americans (no one booed the Italians-- everyone loves Italians); one boy had an American flag wrapped around him.
This morning the rôtisseurs congratulated me on the "very physical" American team. They have a big chart on their wall with every game in the World Cup and they fill in the scores as each game is played. Over their big refrigerator they have huge posters of soccer players. "The French team is pas terrible this year," they said (pas terrible, puzzlingly, means not too good). "Ils ne sont pas soudés." [They are not soldered, i.e. they don't pull together.]
"Les américains étaient héroïques!" bubbled the sports announcer for Radio France Info.
- '"The French team is pas terrible this year," they said (pas terrible, puzzlingly, means not too good)'
definition:
Terrible: 1. Causing great fear or alarm; dreadful: a terrible bolt of lightning; a terrible curse.
Even in English it makes sense. You just have to think of the original meaning.
Posted by: Stéphane | 18 June 2006 at 20:19
My husband lost his voice while watching the match. He was rooting for USA and he became very upset over the red card given to us for what was obviously a normal yellow card offense.
Posted by: Michelle | 19 June 2006 at 03:05
Bad refs, le retour: the second French goal in that 1-1 game with South Korea went a meter past the goal line before the goalie reacted. The Mexican ref didn't allow it even though the cameras showed it clear as day! That decision may cost France its place in the next round.
Posted by: Sedulia | 19 June 2006 at 13:40
my brother was at the planete hollywood and hates the italian ;)
Posted by: schuey | 19 June 2006 at 17:27