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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

Word of the day: La risée

An expression you probably don't want to be the subject of.

Published: 17 May 2021 15:59 CEST
Word of the day: La risée
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know la risée?

It’s a good one to know in case you are the target of someone’s jokes.

What does it mean?

La risée is the laughter made by a group of people. It comes from rire (to laugh). However it can also be used to mean mockery, ridicule, laughing stock or scorn.

Être la risée de quelque chose means ‘to be the laughing stock of something’.

It’s also used to describe a person or subject that is being mocked or ridiculed – the butt of joke.

In the example below it’s ex Friends actor Matthew Perry who is being mocked.

If you’re talking about the person who is the butt of the joke you use the verb être, but if you’re using to describe the action of ‘taking the piss/taking the Mickey’ you use faire – Faire une risée de quelque chose’ means ‘to take the piss out of something or someone.’

Use it like this

Il s’éleva une grande risée du public – the crowd burst into laughter

Si nous arrivons en retard, nous serons la risée de tout le monde – If we’re late everyone will laugh at us

Il se moquait de lui et en faisait la risée de l’école – He mocked him and made him the laughing stock of the school

Synonyms

raillerie – mockery, ridicule

être le dindon de la farce – to be the butt of the joke

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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Expression of the Day: Faire du lèche-vitrine

This French expression might come in handy in the weeks leading up the bi-annual 'soldes'.

Published: 31 May 2024 11:08 CEST
French Expression of the Day: Faire du lèche-vitrine

Why do I need to know faire du lèche-vitrine?

Because you might opt for this if your bank account is running a little low.

What does it mean?

Faire du lèche-vitrine – roughly pronounced fair doo lesh vih-treen – translates as ‘to do the window licking’. 

If your friend suggests this for a Saturday afternoon activity, do not worry – it’s not to be taken literally. The phrase is the French equivalent of ‘window-shopping’ in English.

In France, people have been using this expression since the 20th century. Before that, in the 19th century, the word lécher took on a second meaning of ‘to brush against’, in addition to ‘passing one’s tongue over something’.

As for window shopping, the French expression gives the image of a person who is so enthralled with the items shown in the shop windows that they are close enough to the glass to lick it.

If you want a synonym for this expression, you might say on va flâner dans les magasins (we are going to leisurely walk around the shops).

There are a few other French expressions that use lécher – such as lécher les bottes à quelqu’un (to lick someone’s boots, or overly flatter them).

Use it like this

Mon compte en banque est presque vide. Je ne peux me permettre que de faire du lèche-vitrine. – My bank account is almost empty. I can only afford to window-shop.

Ma grand-mère adore faire du lèche-vitrine le samedi après-midi. – My grandmother loves window-shopping on Saturday afternoons.

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