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Je mets le transat dans le jardin histoire de lézarder.

Je mets le transat dans le jardin histoire de lézarder.
I am putting the deckchair in the garden just to laze about.
From Lesson 463:Informal purpose (histoire de)·French

Questions & Answers about Je mets le transat dans le jardin histoire de lézarder.

Why use histoire de here instead of just pour?
While pour lézarder is grammatically correct, histoire de adds a casual, laid-back nuance. It translates better to 'just to' or 'simply to', implying that the action is not a strict, serious goal, but just a relaxed idea.
Is histoire de always followed by an infinitive verb like lézarder?
Yes! When used to express purpose, histoire de must be followed by an infinitive. It functions as a fixed prepositional phrase. You cannot follow it with a conjugated verb or a clause with que.
The verb lézarder looks a lot like the word for a lizard. Is that a coincidence?
Not at all! Lézarder literally comes from lézard (lizard). It paints a vivid picture of an animal basking motionless on a warm rock. In everyday French, it is the perfect verb for lazing about in the sun.
What exactly is a transat? Is it just a general word for a garden chair?
A transat is specifically a deckchair or sun lounger. It is actually an abbreviation of the word transatlantique, because these folding chairs were famously used on the decks of old transatlantic cruise ships!

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