Vivons Heureux Numéro 1, Quiz 41: cet aspect un peu plissé

The above audio sample and transcription is from Vivons Heureux avant le fin de le monde podcast Numéro 1. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.

that slightly wrinkled appearance

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The snippet in English

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The above translation from Deepl

What does “c’est-à-dire” mean?

“C’est-à-dire” means “that is to say”, “in other words”, or simply “I mean”, depending on the context. It’s used to clarify, explain, or rephrase something.

Il est intermittent, c’est-à-dire qu’il ne travaille pas en continu. (He’s intermittent, that is to say he doesn’t work continuously.)
Used to give a clearer or more familiar explanation.

Je suis végétarienne, c’est-à-dire que je ne mange pas de viande. (I’m vegetarian, in other words, I don’t eat meat.)
Helps restate something for emphasis or clarity.

C’est-à-dire ? (What do you mean?)
Used alone, it’s a quick way to ask someone to explain or elaborate.

Culturally, it’s common in both spoken and written French. In speech, it can sound formal or precise, but it’s also used conversationally to signal that you’re about to clarify or break something down.

What does “d’un côté” mean?

“D’un côté” means “on one side” or “on the one hand”, and it’s used to introduce a contrast or a division.

Vous avez d’un côté la partie intelligente de notre cerveau, et de l’autre, la partie émotionnelle. (On one side you have the intelligent part of our brain, and on the other, the emotional part.)
This use sets up a comparison between two components, often to highlight a tension, balance, or duality.

Even without completing the second half, d’un côté still suggests there’s another side to be considered—it’s a natural setup for contrasting perspectives, structures, or functions. This kind of phrasing is very common in analytical or educational French, especially in science, philosophy, or debate.

What does “cet aspect un peu plissé” mean?

“Cet aspect un peu plissé” means “that slightly wrinkled look” or “that somewhat crinkled appearance”, depending on context.

J’aime bien cet aspect un peu plissé de la jupe. (I like that slightly crinkled look of the skirt.)
Here, plissé refers to small, regular folds or wrinkles, often deliberate in fashion—like pleats or textured fabric.

Plissé can describe both intentional design (pleated clothing) and natural effects (wrinkled skin or fabric), but when softened with un peu, it often suggests something visually textured, casual, or natural-looking, not sloppy.

Culturally, in fashion, plissé can be desirable—tissu plissé refers to fine, deliberate pleating. In other settings, it might just describe something gently creased or aged, like des yeux un peu plissés (slightly wrinkled eyes), evoking character or expressiveness.

What does “quand même” mean?

“Quand même” is a flexible phrase that roughly means “even so,” “still,” “anyway,” or “come on,” depending on context and tone.

Il était malade, mais il est venu quand même. (He was sick, but he came anyway.)
Used here to show concession—he did something despite the obstacle.

C’est cher, quand même ! (That’s expensive, still!)
Adds emphasis or surprise—like “wow” or “seriously?”

Tu pourrais dire merci, quand même. (You could at least say thank you.)
Soft reproach—implying the person should have made an effort.

Je voulais te dire merci, quand même. (I wanted to thank you, really.)
Adds sincerity—“even if it’s late or not much, I mean it.”

Culturally, it’s a go-to expression in French speech. Its meaning depends heavily on tone—it can sound warm, annoyed, ironic, or grateful. It’s a subtle, all-purpose tool for expressing feeling or attitude without needing many words.

What does “assez” mean?

“Assez” means “enough”, “quite”, or “rather”, depending on how it’s used in a sentence and what it’s modifying.

J’ai assez mangé. (I’ve eaten enough.)
Used as a limiter—no more is needed.

Elle est assez gentille. (She’s quite nice.)
Adds moderate intensity—stronger than un peu, but softer than très.

C’est assez compliqué, ton histoire. (Your story is rather complicated.)
Expresses slight exasperation or complexity—“fairly” or “kind of.”

Culturally, assez is often used with a hint of tone—it can sound polite, vague, critical, or even ironic depending on context. Said with a raised eyebrow, c’est assez bien might mean “it’s fine… I guess,” while in a sincere tone, it can mean genuinely “pretty good.”

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