In the flat

This list is the one that becomes useful the day the landlord has to be rung. Two thirds of the way down is la poignée, built on le poing, the fist, and therefore meaning whatever a closed hand does. It is the handle you grip — la poignée de la porte, and also the handle of a suitcase or a saucepan. It is the amount a hand holds: une poignée de sel, a handful of salt, and by extension une poignée de gens, a handful of people. And it is the greeting: une poignée de main is a handshake, where English names the shaking and French names the grip. Three English words, one French word, and one gesture behind all of them.