visiting a prisoner

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A woman went to visit her husbandSON MARI in prison. They sat across from each other and talked for a long time.

When the guard finally announced that visiting hours were overQUE L’HEURE DES VISITES ÉTAIT TERMINÉE, she stood up to leave. But just before reaching the door, she turned back to the correction officerSURVEILLANT PÉNITENTIAIRE.

“You really shouldn’t make my husband work so hard,” she said angrilyAVEC COLÈRE. “The poor man is completely exhausted!”

The officer burst out laughingÉCLATA DE RIRE. “Work? Ma’amMADAME, I don’t know what he’s been telling you, but all he does is eat, sleep, and sit in his cellDANS SA CELLULE. He doesn’t even go out to the yardLA COUR!”

The wife’s face flushed with furyS’EMPORPRA DE COLÈRE. “Don’t you lie to meNE ME MENS PAS!” she snapped. “He just told me he’s been digging a tunnelQU’IL CREUSAIT UN TUNNEL every single day for months!”

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Vocabulary

Burst out laughing: to suddenly begin laughing loudly.

Flushed with fury: to suddenly go red in the face because of strong anger.

The officer burst out laughingÉCLATA DE RIRE.

The wife’s face flushed with furyS’EMPORPRA DE COLÈRE.

Grammar

The joke mainly uses past simple to narrate the sequence of events and past perfect continuous to describe an action that began in the past and continued up to another past moment.

Past simple: She stood up to leave and turned back to the officer.

Past perfect continuous: He just told me he had been digging a tunnel every single day for months.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Burst out laughing: exploded with laughter, roared with laughter.

Flushed with fury: went red with rage, turned crimson with anger.

Mini Dialogue

Mrs Thompson: You shouldn’t make my son study so hard. The poor boy is exhausted!

Teacher: Study? Madam, all he does is chat and look out of the window in class!

Mrs Thompson: Don’t you lie to meNE ME MENS PAS! He told me he had been practisingS’ÉTAIT ENTRAÎNÉ the piano every day for months!

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