# fleur de macadam



## charlie2

Hi,
I learn in another thread that "fleur de macadam" means an "urban girl".
1. Is an urban girl the same as an uptown girl?
2. What is a city girl/boy in French?
3. What is an urban boy in French?
Thank you.


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## Agnès E.

Bonjour Charlie  
We generaly use "citadin", "citadine" for people who prefer urban life to country life.
Regarding "fleur de macadam", I heard it or read it somewhere sometime, and I liked it. Since then, I use it each time I can...   

Je laisse les spécialistes répondre aux autres questions !!


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## la grive solitaire

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Bonjour Charlie
> We generaly use "citadin", "citadine" for people who prefer urban life to country life.
> Regarding "fleur de macadam", I heard it or read it somewhere sometime, and I liked it. Since then, I use it each time I can...
> 
> Je laisse les spécialistes répondre aux autres questions !!



Perhaps from the song by J-P Ferland (many moons ago) called "Fleurs de macadam"?


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## charlie2

Bonjour et Merci, Agnes et la grive solitaire,
J'ai consulte mon dictionaire apres (  ) avoir poste mon message.
"urban girl" veut dire "uptown girl" en anglais americain. (On dit ca? American-English?)


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## rayb

In Spanish you have a similar expression: "animal de asfalto", which means a man or woman who loves urban style of life. However, in France there is an association, called "Fleurs de macadam" which promotes the painting of flowers in the streets by kids at spring.


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## charlie2

rayb said:
			
		

> In Spanish you have a similar expression: "animal de asfalto", which means a man or woman who loves urban style of life. However, in France there is an association, called "Fleurs de macadam" which promotes the painting of flowers in the streets by kids at spring.


Ah, this is interesting, but this would not be graffiti and would be allowed?


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## rayb

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Ah, this is interesting, but this would not be graffiti and would be allowed?


 
In fact they organize painting contest on the side walks and streets, not on the walls.


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## Agnès E.

Bonjour Charlie,  

Pour urban/uptown girl, j'ai pensé à "jeune fille/femme branchée" (trendy, actually) parce que, à ma connaissance, nous n'avons pas vraiment de vocabulaire à ce sujet, hormis "citadin". On parle par exemple de "purs Parisiens" pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas vivre loin de Paris, mais cela n'a rien d'une expression toute faite...
That is why you did not get many answers to your questions !


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## charlie2

Bonjour, Agnes,
I am happy enough. I know that one "une jeune fille branchee" as someone who is always "plugged in" (au courant). I think it is a very vivid description.
And there is even a breed of pure Parisians! You are really something!


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## Agnès E.

A ton service, Charlie !


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## LV4-26

A Paris kid could be called "un petit Poulbot" after the name of Poulbot who used to make drawings of them (in the late XIX or early XX, I don't know).
But, mind you, it only works for Paris.

(PS : I've had problems wording this sentence in englsih  - specially "make drawings.." which I'm not at all pleased with - Could someone correct me ?)


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## Agnès E.

"to picture them" ?


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## charlie2

LV4-26 said:
			
		

> A Paris kid could be called "un petit Poulbot" after the name of Poulbot who used to make drawings of them (in the late XIX or early XX, I don't know).
> But, mind you, it only works for Paris.
> 
> (PS : I've had problems wording this sentence in englsih  - specially "make drawings.." which I'm not at all pleased with - Could someone correct me ?)


1.My suggestion:
...Poulbot who drew pictures of them in the late 19th or early 20th century.
2.I don't think we should say "used to make drawings" because "used to" suggests that Poulbot no longer draws pictures of the Paris kids, perhaps he draws pictures of the pure Parisians now. 
3."make drawings of..." I guess comes from "faire de la peinture" which does not work in English.
4."Picture them" has a different meaning. It means "Imagine them".
e.g. Picture them, running around in your house. Can you stand them?


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## rayb

http://www.fleursdemacadam.com/

This is the site of the association "Fleurs de macadam"


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## Agnès E.

rayb said:
			
		

> http://www.fleursdemacadam.com/
> 
> This is the site of the association "Fleurs de macadam"


 
What a great idea !


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## Jabote

charlie2 said:
			
		

> 1.My suggestion:
> ...Poulbot who drew pictures of them in the late 19th or early 20th century.
> 2.I don't think we should say "used to make drawings" because "used to" suggests that Poulbot no longer draws pictures of the Paris kids, perhaps he draws pictures of the pure Parisians now.


 
A-hem.... I doubt very much Poulbot now draws anything....


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## Agnès E.

Jabote said:
			
		

> A-hem.... I doubt very much Poulbot now draws anything....


 
Moreover, he did not draw "urban boys/girls", but very poor ones, and the word "un poulbot" means "a poor/undisciplined boy/girl speaking with the working-class Parisian accent".


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## charlie2

rayb said:
			
		

> http://www.fleursdemacadam.com/
> 
> This is the site of the association "Fleurs de macadam"


Thank you very much. This activity of drawing sur le trottoir has been exported to Chili. Just looking at the photos make me want to pick up my crayons now. Thanks again, rayb.


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## charlie2

Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Moreover, he did not draw "urban boys/girls", but very poor ones, and the word "un poulbot" means "a poor/undisciplined boy/girl speaking with the working-class Parisian accent".


So, that is a Paris kid!


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## charlie2

Jabote said:
			
		

> A-hem.... I doubt very much Poulbot now draws anything....


  That's my point. That's why we should not say "used to".


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## la grive solitaire

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Bonjour et Merci, Agnes et la grive solitaire,
> J'ai consulte mon dictionaire apres (  ) avoir poste mon message.
> "urban girl" veut dire "uptown girl" en anglais americain. (On dit ca? American-English?)




"City girl/boy" versus "country girl/boy" is used a lot, but as far as I know, not "urban girl/boy".  "Uptown girl' means something a little different; it refers to someone who is lives in the nicest/most expensive part of a city--uptown versus downtown.  (There's a popular song by Billy Joel called "Uptown Girl" that might give you an idea of the meaning.)


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## Jabote

Sorry to disagree charlie... Poulbot _*used to *_ draw pictures of kids... the fact that the kids are still called poulbots does nothing to ressuscitate Poulbot himself and the poor guy does not draw anything any more...


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## Gil

la grive solitaire said:
			
		

> "City girl/boy" versus "country girl/boy" is used a lot, but as far as I know, not "urban girl/boy". "Uptown girl' means something a little different; it refers to someone who is lives in the nicest/most expensive part of a city--uptown versus downtown. (There's a popular song by Billy Joel called "Uptown Girl" that might give you an idea of the meaning.)



Juste pour  compléter le portrait

So, if you ever go out for to have a pint of beer,
She's a downtown girl, she's a get around girl,
And you see her coming for you, then you'd better steer clear,
She's a downtown girl for sure.
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/10/downtowngirl.htm


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## la grive solitaire

LV4-26 said:
			
		

> A Paris kid could be called "un petit Poulbot" after the name of Poulbot who used to make drawings of them (in the late XIX or early XX, I don't know).
> But, mind you, it only works for Paris.
> 
> (PS : I've had problems wording this sentence in englsih  - specially "make drawings.." which I'm not at all pleased with - Could someone correct me ?)




You could say: ...after the name of Poulbot who used to draw/to sketch them  or  
 do drawings/do sketches of them.


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## franceaz

Je ne suis pas d'accord.  Je crois qu'une fleur de macadam est comme un fleur de trottoir, avec un sous-entendu de "hooker."
Claire


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## Cath.S.

franceaz said:
			
		

> Je ne suis pas d'accord. Je crois qu'une fleur de macadam est comme un fleur de trottoir, avec un sous-entendu de "hooker."
> Claire


Je suis d'accord avec cette interprétation, c'est aussi ainsi que je l'entendais, mais je n'osais pas le dire. o <= Egueule blushing coyly, lol!)


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## charlie2

egueule said:
			
		

> Je suis d'accord avec cette interprétation, c'est aussi ainsi que je l'entendais, mais je n'osais pas le dire. o <= Egueule blushing coyly, lol!)


God, you've spoiled everything, my friend. Go talk to the 7500 participants of the painting contest organized by the Society of fleurs de macadam. Don't ask me to go with you, though.


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## la grive solitaire

egueule said:
			
		

> Je suis d'accord avec cette interprétation, c'est aussi ainsi que je l'entendais, mais je n'osais pas le dire. o <= Egueule blushing coyly, lol!)



If so, I wonder if it would shed any light on "un macadam"--the question in the post by ProfCalifornie a few days ago that's still in limbo?  It was in the lyrics by K'maro:

complice on leur donne un bon son, like soulmates
A la tv, Mary J.-Blige glamourous, ton style et ton charme t'es fabulous 
Un délice pour un macadam


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## Cath.S.

la grive solitaire said:
			
		

> If so, I wonder if it would shed any light on "un macadam"--the question in the post by ProfCalifornie a few days ago that's still in limbo? It was in the lyrics by K'maro:
> 
> complice on leur donne un bon son, like soulmates
> A la tv, Mary J.-Blige glamourous, ton style et ton charme t'es fabulous
> Un délice pour un macadam


I just read the whole song (well, nearly) and I can't imagine the woman in the song being compared to a prostitute. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the lyrics.


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## charlie2

No, it doesn't.
I have been brought more down to earth by these recent posts and look around a bit more. Apparently fleurs de macadam can also mean the children in the street who have been left unattended because of war.


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## rayb

charlie2 said:
			
		

> No, it doesn't.
> I have been brought more down to earth by these recent posts and look around a bit more. Apparently fleurs de macadam can also mean the children in the street who have been left unattended because of war.


 
Apparently the original meaning of "fleurs de macadam" is in the beautifull wording of JP Ferdinand.

http://www.paroles.net/chansons/15176.htm


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## rayb

Let me share with you too this story about kids that dream even if they live in a poor environment in Montreal. Like "petites fleurs de macadam" states the journalist.

http://www.ledevoir.com/2005/03/05/76253.html


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## macadam

Bonjour, je voudrais ajouter à la discution au sujet de fleurs de macadam un éclaicisement.
En 1996 j'ai penser à un projet de faire dessiner des enfant des artistes et des poè tes à la craie sur les trottoirs de la ville de Gatineau au Québec.
Je suis un artiste peintre et je voulais une journée consacrer à l'art mais dans mon entousiasme je pensai à la chanson de Jean Pierre Ferland 
Les fleurs de macadam en me disant quel serais parfaite pour cette activitée et je pris le nom.
Deux ans plus tard un dame Belge me téléphone pour me dire que dans sont pays ce terme était réserver au péripatétitiennes, j'ignorrais cette expression.
Depuis onze ans j'ai garder le nom magré sa  mauvaise réputation.
pour grandir cette fleurs, au sens propre doit faire des efforts que les autre fleurs non pas à faire , les enfants les poètes et les artistes qui viennent a fleurs de macadam aussi et le résultat est que après leurs passages au printemps toute la ville de Gatineau rayonne sur plusieurs kilomètre de dessins d'enfants .Ce n'est pas parce quelle fait le trottoire que Fleurs de macadam est une fille facile. 
Merci 
Pierre Richard 
Concepteur
fleursdemacadam.com


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## franceaz

"Ce n'est pas parce quelle fait le trottoire que Fleurs de macadam est une fille facile"
Il n'y a que les peripatetitiennes qui "font" le trottoir.  Par definition, c'est une fille facile!


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## la_cavalière

charlie2 said:
			
		

> Bonjour et Merci, Agnes et la grive solitaire,
> J'ai consulte mon dictionaire apres (  ) avoir poste mon message.
> "urban girl" veut dire "uptown girl" en anglais americain. (On dit ca? American-English?)


 
Uptown girl means a girl/young woman from the chic part of town (like in the Billy Joel song).


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