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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: Cousinade

This French word might come up when discussing summer plans or genealogy.

French Word of the Day: Cousinade
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know cousinade?

Because you might be able to attend one of these if you have extended family in France.

What does it mean?

Cousinade – roughly pronounced koo-zee-nad – may look similar to cassonade (brown sugar) or cuisine (kitchen), but the term does not have anything to do with cooking.

French people use it to talk about family parties or events. It is defined as a ‘family event where cousins [les cousins] are invited’. 

Depending on the family, these might be just first cousins, or it could be an even larger gathering of extended family. These often take place around holidays, or once a year in the summer-time to bring people together.

However, even though they are often used interchangeably, a cousinade is not exactly a réunion de famille (family reunion). 

The latter can bring any members of an extended family, while the former tends to focus on people with a common set of ancestors. 

People looking to learn about their heritage might organise a cousinade, for example. In 2012, over 5,000 relatives gathered for a cousinade in Vendée in France, and at the time it made the Guinness Book of World Records.

Use it like this

J’ai interrogé ma grand-tante sur notre ascendance à la cousinade l’année dernière. – I asked my great-aunt about our ancestry at the family party last year.

Ma famille est trop petite et déconnectée pour les cousinades. – My family is too small and disconnected for family reunions.

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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Word of the Day: Flipper

This French word does not have anything to do with marine mammals.

French Word of the Day: Flipper

Why do I need to know flipper?

Because this anglicism is used a bit differently in French than it would be in English.

What does it mean?

Flipper – roughly pronounced flea-pay – is a colloquial French term and these days it means to be upset or overly anxious. People often use it similarly to the English expression ‘to freak out’.

As you may have expected, the term is an anglicism, and it comes from the English word ‘to flip’. 

However, in French it does not mean to literally flip something over – you would use renverser for that. It comes from a different usage of the word ‘flip’, more in line with ‘losing one’s head’.

The word started being popular in France in the 1970s, and at that time it was almost exclusively used to describe the experience of ‘freaking out’ or having a bad trip after taking LSD or other hallucinogenic drugs, according to Le Figaro.

Over time, it started to refer to the period of depression many people experience after feelings of euphoria when high, as well as the anxiety that one might feel due to withdrawal. 

Nowadays, people mainly use it to refer to any irrational response. You can also call something flippant (shocking).

A more formal synonym for flipper might be paniquer.

And if you find yourself in an arcade, you may hear the word a few times, as flipper is also the French term for a pinball machine.

Use it like this

Arrête de flipper, on va être à l’heure.  – Stop freaking out, we’re going to be on time.

Les résultats des élections m’ont vraiment fait flipper. Mes amis n’ont pas été surpris pour autant. – The results of the election really freaked me out. My friends weren’t surprised though.

J’ai flippé en regardant le film d’horreur. – I freaked out when I was watching the horror movie.

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