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From these 32 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list The tenth entry is l’enfleurage , and the noun folded into the middle of it is a word English owns twice over without noticing. Latin florem gave French la fleur , and French handed it on in the Middle Ages, when it was written « flour » and meant a blossom. It also meant the finest part of anything, since the flower is what a plant puts forward at its best; and the finest part of ground wheat was therefore the flour of the meal. One spelling did both jobs for centuries, and a medieval reader saw nothing odd in that. Only late did the printers settle the matter, leaving the blossom with « flower » and the milled wheat with « flour », so that two words which are one now look like strangers. French never divided them: la fleur de farine is the finest flour la fleur de sel the first crust lifted off a salt pan la fine fleur the best of any company l’enfleurage asks the petals to give up.
The words
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Phrase (1)
naturel ne veut pas dire inoffensif natural does not mean harmless Phrase C2 En parfumerie, naturel ne veut pas dire inoffensif. In perfumery it is worth repeating that natural does not mean harmless.
Noun (f) (24)
Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une
la note de tête the top note Noun (f) C2 La note de tête s’évapore avant qu’on ait payé. The top note is gone before the shop door closes.
la note de cœur the heart note Noun (f) C2 La note de cœur porte le caractère du parfum. The heart note is what a perfume is remembered as.
la note de fond the base note Noun (f) C2 La note de fond tient encore le soir. A base note is still there when the shirt comes off.
la famille olfactive the olfactory family Noun (f) C2 La famille olfactive range le parfum sans le décrire. An olfactory family files a bottle without describing it.
la volatilité the volatility Noun (f) C2 La volatilité décide de l’ordre dans lequel on sent. Volatility alone settles the order in which things are smelled.
la trace olfactive the scent trail Noun (f) C2 Sa trace olfactive reste dans l’escalier. A scent trail is noticed by everybody except the wearer.
la tenue sur la peau the wear on the skin Noun (f) C2 La tenue sur la peau varie d’une personne à l’autre. Wear on the skin is never the same from one person to the next.
l’huile essentielle the essential oil Noun (f) C2 L’huile essentielle sort de la vapeur avec l’eau. The essential oil separates from the water as soon as the steam cools.
l’absolue de fleurs the floral absolute Noun (f) C2 L’absolue de fleurs est plus épaisse et plus sombre que l’huile. A floral absolute is darker and thicker than any oil.
la distillation à la vapeur the steam distillation Noun (f) C2 La distillation à la vapeur épargne les molécules fragiles. Steam distillation is gentle enough for the fragile molecules.
l’analyse de l’espace de tête the headspace analysis Noun (f) C2 L’analyse de l’espace de tête lit le parfum d’une fleur vivante. Headspace analysis reads a flower that is still alive.
la molécule de synthèse the synthetic molecule Noun (f) C2 Une molécule de synthèse peut sentir ce qu’aucune plante ne donne. A synthetic molecule can smell of something no plant produces.
la concentration en parfum the perfume concentration Noun (f) C2 La concentration en parfum sépare l’eau de toilette de l’extrait. Perfume concentration is the whole difference between two bottles of the same name.
la macération du concentré the maceration of the concentrate Noun (f) C2 La macération du concentré dure des semaines au frais. Maceration of the concentrate takes weeks in a cool store.
la variation entre lots the batch-to-batch variation Noun (f) C2 La variation entre lots vient de la récolte, pas de l’atelier. Batch-to-batch variation comes from the field and not from the bench.
la fatigue olfactive the olfactory fatigue Noun (f) C2 La fatigue olfactive arrive après quelques essais. Olfactory fatigue arrives at the third or fourth trial.
la mouillette the blotter strip Noun (f) C2 On note l’heure sur la mouillette. It is worth writing the time on the blotter strip.
la chimie de la peau the skin chemistry Noun (f) C2 La chimie de la peau déplace le même parfum d’une épaule à l’autre. Two people wearing one bottle show what skin chemistry does.
la formule du parfum the formula of the perfume Noun (f) C2 La formule du parfum tient sur une page et reste au coffre. Outside the house nobody ever sees the formula of the perfume.
la reformulation réglementaire the regulatory reformulation Noun (f) C2 La reformulation réglementaire change l’odeur d’un classique. A regulatory reformulation changes a classic nobody had touched.
la substance restreinte the restricted substance Noun (f) C2 Une substance restreinte reste permise sous un seuil. A restricted substance is not banned; it is capped.
la fenêtre de récolte des fleurs the picking window for the flowers Noun (f) C2 La fenêtre de récolte des fleurs ne dure que quelques matins. The picking window for the flowers is measured in mornings.
la contrefaçon de parfum the counterfeit fragrance Noun (f) C2 La contrefaçon de parfum se trahit à la tenue. A counterfeit fragrance gives itself away after an hour.
la mémoire olfactive the olfactory memory Noun (f) C2 La mémoire olfactive garde une odeur d’enfance intacte. Olfactory memory keeps a childhood smell untouched.
Noun (m) (7)
Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une
l’enfleurage the enfleurage Noun (m) C2 L’enfleurage laisse la graisse prendre l’odeur. Enfleurage lets cold fat do the work that heat would spoil.
le fixateur the fixative Noun (m) C2 Le fixateur retient les notes légères plus longtemps. A fixative holds the light notes down for hours.
le support alcoolique the alcohol carrier Noun (m) C2 Le support alcoolique porte les molécules et s’en va. The alcohol carrier does its work and then goes away.
le parfumeur the perfumer Noun (m) C2 Le parfumeur travaille de mémoire plus que du nez. A perfumer holds thousands of materials in the head and reaches for six.
l’approvisionnement durable the sustainable sourcing Noun (m) C2 L’approvisionnement durable lie l’atelier au village qui récolte. Sustainable sourcing ties a laboratory to a village and its harvest.
le rendement en pétales the yield from the petals Noun (m) C2 Le rendement en pétales explique le prix de l’absolue. The yield from the petals explains what an absolute costs.
le parfum dérivé the flanker fragrance Noun (m) C2 Le parfum dérivé reprend le nom et change la formule. A flanker fragrance keeps the famous name and changes everything else.
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