Part 1 (Characters in Order of their Appearance) Chapter1:

Sa Majeste, la reine Linnett. Linnette la blonde (Joanna Southward) – Her majesty, the queen Linnet. Linnet the blonde!

Empressement – Eagerness

Une qui amie et un qui se laisse aimer – One who loves, and one who lets himself be loved.

Vide Linnet Ridgeway!’ (Tim Allerton) – In French ‘vide’ means ‘empty’ or ‘vacant’ but it is also used as a ‘refer to’ or ‘see’ – Tim in this context is basically saying ‘They don’t think it, they do it – just look at Linnet Ridgeway’ but the inference we could read into it for Linnet being an emptuy, shallow person is also a interesting consideration.

Chapter 2

A voitre sante – To your health / cheers

Chapter 5

Tiens! C’est drôle – Ah, how funny/ It’s funny, that…

Une qui amie et un qui se laisse aimer – One who loves, and one who lets himself be loved.

Chapter 6

Parbleu – Good lord (an old fashioned French saying)

Chapter 8

A grande amoureuse – A great lover

Chapter 10

Les femmes – Women

Peut-etre – Perhaps

Chapter 13

Nom d’un nom d’un nom! – ‘Oh my goodness!’ (see common phrases for full explanation)

C’est de l’enfantillage – It is childish

   Gott im Himmel! (Dr Bessner, German) – God in Heaven!

Nicht wahr? (Dr Bessner, German)  – Is it not?

Chapter 15

Tres bien – well done

A mervielle! – A wonder!

Article de luxe – Luxury item

Nom d’un nom d’un nom! – ‘Oh my goodness!’ (see common phrases for full explanation)

Chapter 16

Crime passionelle – A crime of passion

Chapter 17

Cherchez la femme – Look for the woman

Moi qui vous parle – I who am speaking to you

Ce cher – this dear

Jeune fille – Young lady

Cette pauvre Madame Doyle – This poor Mrs Doyle

Chapter 18

Pauvre petite – Poor little one

La politesse – politeness

Chapter 19

Tiens! – Here!

Bien – Good

Chapter 20

Cette pauvre petite Rosalie – This poor little Rosalie

Chapter 21

Zut! – Damn!

On ne prends pas les mouches avec le vinaigre – This is a French proverb which literally translated means ‘We don’t’s catch flies with vinegar’ – the Englisg version of the saying is ‘you catch more flies with honey than vinegar’ meaning, essentially that you get more from people if you are nice to them. Poirot is being typically elusive with Col. Race in what he has discovered and is thinking during the search of Linnet’s room.

Qu’est-ce qu’il y a? – What’s the matter?

Chapter 22

Femme de chamber (Dr Bessner in French) – Maid

Les chiffons d’aujourd’ hui – The fashions of today

Chapter 23

le roi est mort – vive le roi! –  ‘The king is dead, long live the king. Traditionally declared in France after the passing of one king and the announcement of a new one.

French Poem

La vie est vaine                 La vie est brêve
Un peu d’amour               Un peu d’espoir
Un peu d’haine                 Un peu de rêve
Et puis bonjour                 Et puis bonsoir

Life is vain                        Life is short
A bit of love                      A bit of hope
A bit of hate                     A bit of dream
And then good-day         And then good-night

Tiens – c’est vrai – Here – that’s true

   Gott im Himmel! (Dr Bessner, German) – God in Heaven!

Chapter 27

Jeune fille – young girl

Chapter 30

Quel pays sauvage – What a wild country