pet names

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During a dinner between two couples in their fifties, one husband keeps calling his wife by little pet namesPETITS SURNOMS such as “darling, my love, sweetie…”

At the end of the meal, the other husband, astonishedÉTONNÉ, asks him privately: “Say, listenDIS DONC, how do you manage, afterAU BOUT DE 30 years of marriage, to keep calling your wife like that?!”

And the other replies: “Well, in factEN FAIT, it’s because I don’t dareJE N’OSE PAS tell her, you see… I’ve forgotten her first namePRÉNOM!”

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🔍 Vocabulary

In this joke, let’s examine little pet names, astonished, in fact, and first name.

Little pet names: affectionate nicknames used for someone you love.

Astonished: describes someone who is surprised or amazed.

In fact: a phrase used to clarify or emphasise the truth of something.

First name: the personal name someone is given at birth, not the surname.

• He always calls his wife by little pet namesPETITS SURNOMS.
• She looked astonishedÉTONNÉE when she heard the news.
• In factEN FAIT, I already finished the report yesterday.
• Please write your first namePRÉNOM on the form.

📘 Grammar

This joke uses direct speech to bring out the conversation naturally.

It also features the present perfect continuous sense of “how do you manage… after 30 years”, showing an action maintained over time.

• “How do you manage after 30 years of marriage?” he asked. (direct speech)
• How have you managed to work here for so long? (present perfect continuous sense)

🔄 Synonyms & Alternatives

Little pet names: nicknames, terms of endearment

Astonished: amazed, surprised

First name: given name, Christian name

💬 Mini Dialogue

HR Manager: I was astonishedÉTONNÉ by how many applicants forgot their first namePRÉNOM on the form.

Secretary: One even used little pet namesPETITS SURNOMS instead of details!

HR Manager: In factEN FAIT, I don’t know how we manage recruitment at all.

Secretary: After this, we’ll need stricter procedures, that’s for sure.

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