A whale of a time
Whilst working in housekeeping in a hotel in Lyon, France, during my university course, I wanted to sweep the courtyard and asked a passing cleaner if I could borrow her baleine to do so. Confronted by her puzzled expression, I proceeded to repeat the phrase, complete with a sweeping action. It was only after that I realised that I had asked to borrow a whale and not a broom, which is un balai!
Sent by: Vicky
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I did the same thing while living with a family in Quebec. I wanted to help with the housework one day and so asked where they kept the baleine. Of course my host-dad started to fall about with laughter, and so for the rest of my stay whenever the broom came out it was always refered to as the whale!
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