I see you write it all the time and can't figure out what it means. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />

Help me out here...

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

It is french, I believe for "darling," as in mon chere (my darling)? Could be wrong on the interpretation, though. It's a good thing, though.

It is french...

It means...

ARK'S NUMERO UNO...

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />
(exactly how great is my need for attention??)

Numero Uno is definitely not French <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> !

hahahahhahaha....Okay...here's more than you ever wanted to know about "chere".

I'm from Southwest Louisiana (where we talk funny)...and "chere" is very hard to translate which is why I don't use an English word because there isn't a good replacement for the sentiment involved. It is roughly the equivalent of the French "dear" but the cajuns pronounce it and use it very differently. It sounds like "sha" (short "A" sound like in cat) and not like "Sonny and CHER" as the French pronounce it. It is a term of endearment and translates roughly "poor little one" or "little dear one"...but you don't have to be physically "little", you might be emotionally "poor" or "little" (poor of heart or spirit..down in the dumps). It's used to show love, sympathy or both. If my son falls down and skins his knee....I'd say...."come see by mama chere and let me kiss it." Anyone cute, young, little, sad, hurt, unfortunate, or dear can be called chere. Even litle or ugly animals can be called chere. Folks down on their luck are called "poor chere". All babies are chere....If a baby smiles, you'll hear "aw chere!" coming from all around. And the apple of your eye or you best friend might be "chere bebe" (like "that's my baby").

Oh...and I almost forgot.

It also means ark^^ is numero uno. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

<small>[ October 30, 2004, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: star*fish ]</small>

Thanks for the explanation.

So do you talk cajun? Ya know, like the guy from the old Cajun Spice Ruffles commercials from the 80's?

Whooooo boy! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

<small>[ October 31, 2004, 05:27 AM: Message edited by: marriage is forever? ]</small>

mais yeah chere, mais whachoo tink? ahyiiiiiii

Actually, I only use a cajun accent when I tell jokes about Boudreaux and Thibedeaux. I was raised in New Orleans, so that accent is the noticeable one. Real noticeable....I'm teased all the time.

Looking at my French/English dictionary and remembering my HS French:

Cher, chere (on that it has an accent agrave over the first e)it means dear...also means expensive.

Cheri means darling or beloved. I always thought that mon chere means my dear and mon cheri means my darling.

Right you are Trix. I speak three languages...I learned French before English because that's what my mother and grandparents spoke. Then I studied art in Paris for a year. But Cajun French and Parisian French are slightly different (Candian French has it's own dialect as well)...and this word "chere"..has a more expanded use and meaning in Southwest Louisiana. It's just not used the same way they do in France.

There is another word we use in Louisiana that I ran accross in use in the Carribean with a very interesting twist. We use a word "lagniappe" (lan-yop). The word in LA means "a little something extra". For instance, if you go to the bakery and you order a dozen donuts...if you're a good customer the baker will give you 13...one for lagniappe. But when I lived in Trinidad..."lagniappe" meant something completely different. It was used for a late baby...like a "change of life baby"...so it was still "a little something extra" LOL!

<small>[ October 31, 2004, 07:21 AM: Message edited by: star*fish ]</small>

Star has an absolutely lovely accent. And the sexiest voice on the planet, to boot. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Star, when I've heard you use "chere," it has seemed to me that you use it both as an affectionate term of endearment -- like with a baby or a friend who's being silly -- and as a more sympathetic term. There's a different tone of voice for the two. Given that tone of voice is an emotional shading, I'm wondering if "dear" isn't still the best translation we might come up with?

Otherwise, the closest you'd get in English might be a cross between "sweet pea" and "poor thing." Unfortunately, no one's going to understand if you start saying, "sweet thing" and "poor pea."

Well, hmm. Maybe they would. I don't know. I'm just babbling and very silly and need to get some work done.

J's just exaggerating. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="images/icons/blush.gif" />

The one thing about "chere" that's really different from "dear" is that it is NEVER used in a negative or sarcastic way...like sometimes "dear" is used in English. To my knowledge, it can't be done...it's always endearing.