what does " French exchange " mean? Addie remembers a French exchange Della had once upon a time. She was meant to be Della's exchange but of course Della would have nothing to do with her so Addie had to hang out with her instead. A beautiful golden creature, she used to stretch herself out on the couch in the breakfast room, wearing just a string top and these impossibly short shorts and she would pluck at the hairs on her legs with her tweezers. She would spend hours on end just plucking and plucking and after she finally dragged herself off the couch there would be a layer of fine little hairs all over the upholstery.