Recently, I came across a fun Swedish word that instantly became one of my favourites: tidsoptimist. It’s not French, but it describes me parfaitement:
A person who’s habitually late because they think they have more time than they do.
If I’m honest, il est rare que je sois à l’heure. It’s not because I’m lazy – je fais rarement la grasse-matinée. My lateness has more to do with the fact that j’ai toujours du pain sur la planche and a terrible sense of time. The result? Je suis toujours à la bourre et souvent en retard.
The Week of the White Rabbit
That week was a particularly good workout for my heart rate. Twice in just a few days, I had to dash through my small market town like le lapin blanc dans Alice au pays des merveilles.
- Monday: the garage phoned at 17h05 to say my car was ready and could I collect it by 17h20? Cue sprint!
- Wednesday: at 17h06, I suddenly remembered I had a rendez-vous chez l’esthéticienne… at 17h10.
Both times, je suis arrivée pile à l’heure — but only just!
Better Late Than Never
Even though I’m often rushing around comme une tarée, I do always show up (eventually). As the French say, mieux vaut tard que jamais.
If you’ve ever had a “white rabbit” week yourself, these expressions will come in handy when chatting with French friends.
And if you happen to know a perfect French translation for tidsoptimist, do let me know — it’s still missing from mon petit dico!
How to Practise Without the Pressure
If punctuality isn’t your strong point, you can still practise these phrases without actually showing up late! Try using them when you’re telling a story in French, role-playing a conversation, or writing a short diary entry about your day. The more you use them in different contexts, the more they’ll stick — so when you are dashing through town like le lapin blanc, you’ll have just the right French expression ready to go.
Time-Related Phrases to Boost Your Conversations
Talking about time in French goes beyond just saying you’re late or on time. Everyday conversations are full of little time markers that add colour and personality. Try slipping in expressions like je file (“I’m off”), je suis en avance (“I’m early”), je suis arrivé(e) pile à l’heure (“I arrived bang on time!”or je n’ai pas vu le temps passer (“I didn’t see the time go by”). These small additions make you sound more natural and help you connect with native speakers.
French Vocabulary from This Blog
- parfaitement = to a T
- être à l’heure = to be on time
- et je ne suis jamais en avance = and I am never early
- je fais rarement la grasse-matinée = I rarely have a lie-in
- j’ai toujours du pain sur la planche = I always have a lot on my plate / a lot to do
- je suis toujours à la bourre et souvent en retard = I am always in a hurry (familiar) and often late
- être pressé(e) = to be in a hurry (standard register)
- le lapin blanc dans Alice au pays des merveilles = the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland
- rendez-vous chez l’esthéticienne = an appointment at the beautician’s
- je suis arrivé(e) pile à l’heure les deux fois = I got there bang on time both times
- comme une tarée = like a nutter
- mieux vaut tard que jamais = better late than never
Tell me… are you a tidsoptimist too? Comment and let me know!
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Merci beaucoup Frannie et maintenant Je suis retard a grace a toi Je n’ai pas vu le temps passé!! 😂Mais j’adore les blogs!! 😍
Oh non, je suis vraiment désolée ! Moi aussi, je suis souvent en retard…