French
French speaking countries
Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Adults
(adj.) • (old game) • Describes a person with old-fashioned manners or way of thinking.
"Elle est un peu vieux jeu ; selon elle, ce sont les garçons qui doivent faire le premier pas."
"She is a bit old game; in her view, boys should make the first move."
Word USED On Occasion BY Students
(n.) • (baptism) • An initiation ritual in Belgian universities in order to join one of the university groups. The students who succeed in the initiation are called "baptisés" (= baptised). The "bleus" (= "blues"; the students doing the initiation) have to take part in various activities for a few weeks. A "baptême" is a bit like fraternities and sororities in the US, but there's no attention payed to gender, no restricted number of members, and the baptised don't live together.
"J'ai l'intention de faire mon baptême quand j'irai à l'université, comme ça je pourrai rencontrer des gens plus facilement."
"I intend to do my baptism when I go to university so that I can meet people more easily."
Word USED Very frequently BY Students
(n.) • This word refers to student parties, often in university towns, where beer is highly consumed. There is also music, often old French songs, and student songs. You can also use the verb "guindailler".
"A chaque fois que je vais en guindaille, je deviens mort bourré."
"Whenever I go to guindaille, I get very drunk."
French
French speaking countries
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(to put one's hand out to be cut) • Te be extremely sure of something. So sure that you would let your hand to be cut if you're wrong.
"Mon rouge à lèvre a encore disparu! J'en mets ma main à couper que c'est ma soeur qui l'a pris!'
"My lipstick disappeared again! I put my hand out to cut that my sister took it!"
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(to pull out one's map) • To cope on one's own.
"Je vous accompagnerai à l'école et vous aiderai avec vos devoirs durant la première semaine. Après ça, vous tirez votre plan."
"I will accompany you to school and help you with your homework during the first week. After that, you'll have to cope on your own."
French
French speaking countries
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations
(to have long teeth) • To be very ambitious and aim high, but in a pejorative way. You would do anything to reach your goal.
"Les soeurs de Cendrillon ont les dents longues et sont prêtes à tout pour se marier avec le prince."
"Cinderella's sisters have long teeth and they are willing to do anything in order to marry the prince."
French
French speaking countries
Expression USED On Occasion BY Most People
(to have a hair on one's tongue) • To lisp.
"J'ai l'impression que beaucoup d'enfants ont un cheveu sur la langue quand ils parlent."
"It seems that many children have a lisp when they speak."
Name USED Frequently BY Adults
A masculine name which can be used to designate a boyfriend.
"Julien, c'est ton Jules?"
"Is Julian your Jules?"
Word USED Frequently BY Students
(n.) • Typical Belgian word used by Dutch- and French-speakers. It is a student accommodation, often a flat shared with other students.
"Ce soir, je fais une pré à mon kot; tu viendras?"
"Tonight, I'm having a preparty at my dorm; will you come?"
Word USED On Occasion BY Young People
(noun) • (tourist) • It refers to students who never have their materials (pen, sheets of paper, ...) or know what they are supposed to do in class.
"Dis, tu peux me passer une feuille? Et un stylo? Et, on doit faire quoi?" "Mec, t'es vraiment un touriste!"
"Hey, can you give me a sheet of paper? And a pen? And, what are we supposed to do?" "Dude, you're such a tourist!"
French
French speaking countries
Expression USED On Occasion BY Most People
(to take oneself a wind) • Used when someone is being ignored when saying something. "Vent" (= wind) stands for the sound it makes, so the only answer that the person gets. Sometimes, you can replace "vent" by "tornade", "tsunami", "ouragan", etc. which are stronger kinds of wind, so a stronger silence after one's words.
Personne 1 -"Ça vous dit de venir manger chez moi ce soir?" Personne 2 - Pas de réaction. Personne 3 (à personne 1) - "Tu viens de te prendre un de ces vents!"
Person 1 - "Would you like to come and eat at my place tonight?" Person 2 - No reaction. Person 3 (to person 1) - "You've just taken yourself one of those winds!"
Name USED On Occasion BY Young People
It is a name used to refer to a stereotypical man, who is in love with his car and practices car tuning. Other characteritics would be wearing a mulet, watching football (and Pimp My Ride), drinking a lot of beer, calling his wife "mum", etc.
"Un mec qui pose à côté de sa voiture sur sa photo de profil, c'est clairement un jacky!"
"A guy posing next to his car on his profile pic is clearly a jacky!"
French
French speaking countries
Name USED On Occasion BY Some People
Used to describe adults in their late twenties still living at their parents'. It comes from the movie "Tanguy" by Étienne Chatiliez.
"Mon fils est un Tanguy: il a 35 ans ans, est célibataire et vit toujours chez moi. Je ne sais pas quoi faire pour qu'il parte vivre de lui-même!"
"My son is a Tanguy: he is 35, single and still lives at my house. I don't know what to do to make him go and live on his own!"
French
| Creole
Reunion Island,
France
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."
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!"
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."
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
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
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."
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!"
