![]() ![]() "Sometimes he takes, knowing my great love of Art,Īnd, under specious pretences of cockroach, La forme de la plus séduisante des femmes,Įt, sous de spécieux prétextes de cafard,Īccoutume ma lèvre à des philtres infâmes." "Parfois il prend, sachant mon grand amour de l'Art, So nothing good. Then came poet Charles Baudelaire, who introduced a cockroach in 'Les Fleurs du Mal' in 1857. It also refers to a person who denounces others and snitches. Origin: In the sixteenth century, the French word "cafard" (which comes from the Arabic "kafir", meaning "miscreant") referred to a person who was not very religious and who made others believe that he or she was deeply religious. But then again, who is cheered up at the sight of one? Literal translation: I’ve got the cockroach. So it’s all about table etiquette, which some filthy-minded bunch decided to make far more vivid. ![]() Good manners state that you should remove the “touille” (which turns to ‘testicle’ with a mere switch of the first letter) from the soup before serving. The expression comes from the Vendée region in France where the “touille” is a soup spoon only used to stir the bisque. ![]() Once you’ve finished chuckling at the palaver brought about by such a situation, take into consideration that the origin is far less risqué. (And keep your genitals out of my broth.) Meaning: Something’s gone wrong somewhere. Literal translation: There’s a bollock in the soup. "Il y une couille dans le potage" Stock - Canva "Il y a une couille dans le potage" However, the origin is much simpler, going back to the term "auberge", which used to refer to a prison - a place where, like an inn, the imprisoned are offered room and board. Origin: Many believe that the expression refers back to Balzac and the sordid boarding school Vauquer, or even Maupassant’s nightmarish Auberge. While the British would not be out of the woods and the Germans are not out of the penalty zone, French problems detain you in the local hostel. Meaning: To face a complicated problem that’s far from being over. Literal translation: We’re not out of the inn. Later on, Lorédan Larchey in his 'Nouveau supplément du dictionnaire d’argot' indicated that the bunny is used to allude to “the rabbit placed on the turnstiles of the fairground games, which seems easy to win and which one never wins". Origin: The expression dates back to the 19th century, and it originally meant “not to repay a woman’s favours”. So, if your date doesn’t show up, you can say “il / elle m’a posé un lapin.” ![]()
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