“You are versatile! Stop bretter and do your udder. "
Do not be disappointed by this somewhat mysterious sentence.
Literally translated, it means:
“You are gifted!
Stop wasting time and make a decision! ”
Quebeckers have expressions of their own.
These may seem incomprehensible to us, or completely obsolete.
They are mostly fun, and often full of charm.
What if we decided to take inspiration from it to renew our way of speaking?
● Let go of your fool
If you
"let go of your fool"
you are in a blissful euphoria, an explosion of happiness and fun.
The reference to the
madman
recalls the jester, the king's madman, a comic character whose mission was to entertain the court and its sovereign.
●
Courailler
"
He just keeps running here and there, instead of working."
This is a phrase that worried parents for the future of their child say.
A
runner
is a person who runs incessantly
, "who leads a frivolous, light life"
tells us
Le Trésor de la Langue Française
.
We find this word for example in Flaubert, in
La Cousine Bette
.
●
Foolish
If you are referred to in this not very complimentary term, ask yourself questions, or run away!
Formed from the word
"stupid"
, the meaning that Quebecers put behind this word is a bit more explicit than that given by
Le Trésor de la Langue Française.
To be used as a substitute for more ... offensive words.
●
Tanned
Summer has been over for a few weeks now, nature has taken on its fall colors and the crazy rhythm of the start of the school year has picked up again.
Decidedly, you are
"tanned", in
other words tired, annoyed, worn out.
The reference to tanned leather is not trivial.
Something is said to be
tanned
when it has taken on
"a smooth and shiny appearance under the effect of friction, of wear",
details
Le Trésor de la Langue Française.
●
We do it with the mitten
There is no doubt that Quebec lumberjacks use this expression immoderately.
It is said to designate a job done by hand.
This word, a little old-fashioned, but still charming, designates gloves whose end is uncovered, leaving the fingertips protruding.
A road is
"congested"
to say it is
congested
, a dish is
"disgusting"
when it is delicious, an item of clothing is
"expensive"
instead of
expensive,
and one says of a person with an ironic tone that it is
"slobbery"
.
