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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French word of the Day: Se régaler

If you enjoy enjoying things and then telling people about it, we have the word to help you show your full appreciation.

French word of the Day: Se régaler

Why do I need to know se régaler? 

Because sometimes life is great and you want to express that you’ve more than just liked something. 

What does it mean?

The verb se régaler means to treat or enjoy yourself.

Stronger than aimer, se régaler also shows that it was a pleasure. 

If your friend cooked you a lovely bœuf bourguignon, and you really want to compliment the chef, you can say Je me suis regalé – I really enjoyed it.

As with a lot in France, this word is often associated with good food and drink.

But one can also se regaler de other things.

For example: Je me suis régalé du concert  – I really enjoyed the concert

Je me suis régalé du livre  – I loved the book.

As it's a reflexive verb, you need to remember that it's je me, tu te etc and it's followed by de or du

Se régaler can also be an instruction, like when your fromager sends you off with some wonderfully smelly cheese and tells you to Regalez-vous! – Enjoy!

For more French words and phrases, check out of French word of the Day section.

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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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