When you walk into a boutique or a small shop in France , the people in the place will acknowledge you by saying ‘Bonjour' or ‘Bonsoir' (evening time). Of course, in return you should do the same. If you walk into a place filled with women only, you could say ‘Bonjour Mesdames', in a place filled with men and women ‘Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs'. (or simply “Messieurs-dames”) If you're facing one person only, it is customary to say ‘Bonjour Monsieur' or ‘Bonjour Madame', if you're greeting a younger female person (18 years or less), you should say ‘Bonjour Mademoiselle'.
When you leave a shop or a restaurant – you should always automatically say ‘au revoir' or “bonne journée” or ‘bonne soirée'
(evening time).
Les bises (kisses on the cheek): Each time you run into someone you know or even if you're meeting that person for the first time and if you're a woman, you should be prepared to give from 2 to 4 bise s (depending on your location in France ) to the other person (male or female) on their cheeks. The French person in question will more than likely initiate the action. If you're a man, you should also be ready to give les bises to a woman but normally you would shake hands with another man.
Le coin des branchés
Clope une clope – a cigarette, a fag. T'as pas une clope ? = Do you have a cigarette ?
But with the forthcoming restriction on smoking in public places in France , you had best make sure you smoke your clopes outside.
Cuit cuit – normally the word cuit means “cooked”, but in a slang sense it can mean to be done for or all washed up.
It can also mean “sloshed” or “drunk.” Il est complètement cuit = He really sloshed, pissed. une cuite – related to the above. Il a pris une sacrée cuite = He really got plastered.
Encaisser encaisser – to collect or receive payment or cash a check. In sports, the expression is often used to describe having a goal scored against a team. Malgré sa domination pendant la plupart du match, la France a, malheureusement, encaissé un but à la 67 e minute du match contre l'Ecosse.
Gamin(e) un(e) gamin(e) – a kid, child. The word môme is also used. Avec trois gamins de moins de 4 ans, elle ne fait que changer des couches = With three kids under four years of age, she does nothing but change diapers.
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Magouille magouiller/magouille -- to scheme ; wheeling and dealing. Il a magouillé avec l'argent du peuple = He used public money in a dubious (illegal) way. Ca sent la magouille = Something smells fishy.
Plaque être à côté de la plaque – to be wide of the mark, totally out of it. Elle est à côté de la plaque = She hasn't got a clue.
Ric-rac ric-rac - Ca va se jouer ric-rac = It's going to be touch and go. J'ai eu mon train ric-rac = I barely made my train.
Rond (un) rond – as an adjective, rond, means, of course, “round”. It can also refer to a round number : Ca fait 50 euros tout rond = That will be exactly 50 euros. As a noun, un rond is often used to signify money. avoir des ronds = to be loaded. Il n'a plus un rond = He no longer has a penny to his name.
And then there is also un rond de serviette = a napkin ring. Etre complètement rond = to be completely drunk.
Roger Stevenson
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Est-il complètement cuit ou complètement rond?
French Accent Magazine - December 06
A very useful book
Here is an excellent book about the spelling particularities of commonly used words, French grammar, and the precise meaning of problematic words. It has lots of very useful examples and cartoons, such as the one on the right : “Même pour le père Noël, ramasser une bûche, c'est dûr!” (Even for Santa, falling down is hard), which illustrates another meanings of the word “bûche”: a log of wood. Don't ask us why, but getting a “bûche”, means that you fall down. But I can tell you why Santa is involved in this example: the “bûche de Noël” is the traditional French dessert for Christmas -- which has the shape of a… log!
Guide pratique du français sans fautes Sélection du Reader's Digest, 2006, 39,90 €.
To order this book, click on the picture
A "dictée"
One of the best exercises to help you improve your writing skills in French is to do a “dictée”
(dictation) where you write down as accurately as you can a passage that is read to you by someone. You then check to see if you made any mistakes, in view of avoiding making the same ones the next time. If you click on the audio link s below, you will be able to listen to the passage that will be read at a moderate rate and with each sentence repeated twice. You can, of course, listen to the recording s as many times as you like, but we recommend that you try and limit yourselves to two repetitions.
Listen here
When you have finished, you can compare your version to the original Here!
clope ? = Do you have a cigarette ? 
(Even for Santa, falling down is hard), which illustrates another meanings of the word “bûche”: a log of wood. Don't ask us why, but getting a “bûche”, means that you fall down. But I can tell you why Santa is involved in this example: the “bûche de Noël” is the traditional French dessert for Christmas -- which has the shape of a… log! 
