French | Creole Reunion Island, France

zoreille

Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(n.) • (ears) • In Reunion Island, France, a tourist (usually from the continent) is called a "zoreille", which is Reunion Creole for "oreilles" (ears), because tourists tend to put their hand to their ear to mean they don't understand the Creole language.

"C'est les vacances, il y à des zoreilles partout sur l'île."

"Here come the holidays, zoreilles are everywhere on the island."

French France

En avant, Guingamp

Expression USED Frequently BY Adults

(interj.) • (Go on, Guingamp ) • Guingamp is a French town and famous football team. Their motto is "en avant, Guingamp!". We use it in French as a way of encouraging to get going.

"On fait quoi ce soir?" "Ça te dit de se faire un resto?" "Bah ouais, pourquoi pas." "Allez, en avant Guingamp!"

"What shall we do this evening?" "What about a restaurant?" "Hell, why not." "Go on, Guingamp!"

French France

C'est pas mon délire

Expression USED On Occasion BY Mostly young people

(It is not my excitation) • It is used to mean that something is not your taste, not your cup of tea or not what you usually like.

"Tu viens regarder le match avec nous ce soir ?" "Non merci, le foot, c'est pas mon délire."

"Are you coming to see the match with us tonight?" "No, thank you. Football is not my excitation."

French France

prendre l'air

Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone

(to take the air) • To go somewhere else.

"Cet été, on va prendre l'air en Grèce."

"This summer, we're taking the air in Greece."

French Poitou-Charentes, Normandy, France

barrer

Word USED Very frequently BY Most people

(v.) • To lock a door. It comes from the time you used a bar to keep a door closed.

"T'as barré la porte ?"

"Did you lock the door?"

French North of France, France

il drache

Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some People

(it's pouring) • Used when it rains heavily.

"Il vaut mieux rester à l'intérieur vu qu'il drache dehors."

"It's better to stay inside since it's pouring outside."

French France

pleuvoir comme vache qui pisse

Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults

(to rain like a pissing cow) • When there is heavy rain.

"Regarde dehors, il pleut comme vache qui pisse!"

"Look outside, it's raining like a pissing cow!"

French France

il pleut des cordes

Idiom USED Frequently BY Everyone

(it's raining ropes) • Used to describe heavy rainfall.

"Oh non, il pleut des cordes et je dois rentrer à pied !"

"Oh no, it's raining ropes and I have to go back home on foot!"

French France

s'envoyer en l'air

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to send oneself to the air) • To have sex, to get laid.

"Mon voisin passe son temps à s'envoyer en l'air, et il n'est pas discret."

"My neighbour spends his time sending himself to the air, and he is not discreet."

French France

lourd

Word USED Frequently BY youngsters and former teens

(adj.) • (heavy) • Cool or awesome. Can be used alone to succinctly express approval.

"Je me suis acheté une nouvelle paire de pompes, elles sont confortables et stylées." "Lourd."

"I just bought a new pair of shoes, they're comfy and classy." "Cool."

French France

bobo

Slang USED Frequently BY Parents, children

(n.) • A cute name used by children or their parents to refer to a slight physical injury (scratch, cut, etc.).

"Je me suis fait un bobo au genou."

"I got a bobo on my knee."

French France

être rond comme une queue de pelle

Expression USED Frequently BY People Over 40

(round as the end of the shovel) • Used to say that someone is drunk.

"Maurice et Thierry ont passé la journée à boire avec Hervé. Ils sont ronds comme des queues de pelle."

"Maurice and Thierry spent the day drinking with Hervé. They're as round as the end of a shovel."

French France

fdp

Acronym USED Frequently BY Teens, young adults

Short for "fils de pute", literally "son of a bitch". It is most often used as an insult, but sometimes, young adults can use it at the end of a sentence, when they are annoyed and want to exaggerate. It's mainly used when texting, but you can also hear it spoken. Caution: "fdp" is also a short for "frais de port" (shipping costs).

"Rends-moi mon argent fdp."

"Give me back my money you son of a bitch."

French France

pompette

Word USED On Occasion BY Most People

(adj.) • Tipsy.

"Faites pas attention, je suis pompette."

"Don't mind me, I'm a little bit tipsy."

French France

bec et ongles

Expression USED In the past BY Novel authors

(beak and nails) • It's used to describe a fierce behaviour, specifically when defending someone's belongings or loved ones, like a mother bird would do for her younglings.

"La vieille dame se fit houspiller de part et d'autre au milieu de la foule pour ses propos. Elle se défendit bec et ongles et avait un contre-argument pour chacun des hurlements qui lui étaient proférés."

"The old lady was being harassed from all sides in the middle of the crowd for what she said. She defended tooth and nail and had a counter-argument for anything one yelled at her."

French | Verlan France

meuf

Slang USED Very frequently BY Young People

(n.) • Girl or woman. From the verlan 'femme'.

"On a passé une soirée entre meufs."

"We had a girls night."

French France

mitonner un plat

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(v.) • To cook a dish slowly and with a lot of love. It conveys the idea that you care about what you are cooking and the people who will eat it.

"Je vais vous mitonner un petit plat, vous m'en direz des nouvelles."

"I'm going to make a meal for you and I bet you'll like it."

French France

tkt

Abbreviation USED Very frequently BY Mostly young people

(don't worry about it) • Short for "t'inquiète", which is short for "ne t'inquiète pas", meaning "don't worry about it".

"Il y aura assez à boire pour ce soir?" "Tkt j'ai tout ce qui faut."

"Will there be enough drinks for tonight?" "Tkt, I got it covered."

French Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

pélo

Slang USED On Occasion BY Young people

(n.) • Means guy or dude. It comes from a Romany word meaning penis, so it can be a bit offensive. You wouldn't call an older person this to his face.

"Il n'y a pas un pélo dans ce magasin !" "Normal, on est dimanche."

"There is not a soul in this shop!" "Obviously, it's Sunday."

French France

Ça claque!

Interjection USED On Occasion BY Young people

(interj.) • (It slaps!) • Used to mean that something is cool. Ruder version : "Ça claque sa mère" (it slaps one's mother).

"Tu as vu le nouveau Avengers ? Ça claque !"

"Have you seen the new Avengers movie? It's so cool!"