The Norman Invasion and Conquest of England (1066) resulted in the use of the French language being used alongside Anglo-Saxon. The rulers were Norman speakers. So their language filtered down into the language of those conquered.
1.The theatre company is gradually increasing its repertoire
2. There was a strong smell coming from the abattoir
3. The building of a new reservoîr is in the pipeline
4. The concept of a lady in her boudoir would cause laughter these days
5. We took an aperitif first, and then entered the dining-room
6. After winning the lottery, he employed a chauffeur to drive him about
7. She looked very elegant indeed in a black chiffon dress
8. After the consommé, they brought caviare and finally petit-fours and liquers
9. This ballet was a part of the late Renaissance
10. They walked down the boulevard with a côterie of journalists
11. A coquettish brunette with a perfect coiffure and wearing a negligée entered
12. We listened to a lecture given by a champagne connoisseur in the canteen
13. The dentist showed his pique when I showed him a photo of my chateau
14. I counted fifty bullet-holes in the buildings façade
15. A platoon of soldiers set out to reconnoître the area
16. The restaurant was full, so we had to wait until there was an empty table
17. Despite three defeats in a row, the manager remained sanguine about promotion
18. I joined the champions entourage and managed to get a scoop
19.We are lucky to have good connections and can get entrés to most social events
20. Many now consider his form of cooking rather autre
21.I’m afraid the situation has got out of hand and has become a fait accompli
22. She almost always played the role of femme fatal in films
23. She was famous as a femme du monde in her early years
24. We attended the village fête on Saturday, and I won a coconut
25. When I entered the room, it was just like déjà vu
26. We had coq au vin for our main course and gateau for sweet
27.Real Madrid are Atlético’s bête noir
28. She wore a fleur-de-lis in her hair and was full of joie de vivre
29. She has a very laissez-faire attitude to her children’s education
30.We live in the country of course but keep a maison de ville in London
31. I asked the maître d’hôtel to keep me a table in the corner
32. He lives in an unconventional household; himself, his wife and her friend are a ménage a trois
33. My wife can make a wonderful meringue and I pâte de fois gras
34. My son has finally found his mêtier; he’s joined the police force
35. We thought we had found water but it was only a mirage
36. I was looking for something pithy, le mot just to finish the article
37. The first thing the young diplomat learns is how to show obeisance to Royalty
38.The artist gradually achieved what today we would term his oeuvre
39. The audience clambered for an encore at the end of the concert
40. A new pâtisserie has opened next to the wine bar
41. He belongs to Millet and his milieu
42. He has a massage every morning before playing a round of golf
43. Can you write a précis of the lecture and hand it in on Monday morning
44. The actors delivery was very puissant, and he deserved success
45. Go to the rôtisserie and buy a couple of roast chickens
46.The film was basically a collection of delightful vignettes
Bob Williamson 