SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

WORD OF DAY

French word of the day: Ne pas mâcher ses mots

This is something of a trait among French people so it's as well to know the phrase for it.

French word of the day: Ne pas mâcher ses mots
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know ne pas mâcher ses mots ?

Because applying this expression to your life can make things clearer.

What does it mean ?

Mâcher means to chew, and mots means words.

The idea behind the expression is letting the words come out of your mouth without thinking about what you want to say, which will probably result in a very frank speech.

The opposite of this expression, mâcher ses mots, is also very common. It means that you are taking the time to choose your words wisely.

For instance, adding et je mâche mes mots at the end of a sentence is a way of emphasizing your attempt at being fair and objective in your judgement.

So saying that somebody ne mâche pas ses mots means that their way of speaking is very up-front and honest, perhaps too honest. This is something of a trait in France, which you need to be aware of before asking a French person whether your bum looks big in your new trousers.

Use it like this

Mon médecin ne mâche pas ses mots quand il parle de la situation sanitaire en France – My doctor does not mince his words talking about the French health situation.

Elle lui a enfin dit la vérité, sans mâcher ses mots  – She finally told him the truth, she did not pull any punches.

Synonyms

Parler franchement – to speak frankly

Etre cash – to be direct  

Appeler un chat un chat – to say it the way it is  

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

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.

SHOW COMMENTS