Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

Word of the day: Autodérision

This word is often used to describe a very British sense of humour.

Published: 9 July 2021 12:17 CEST
Word of the day: Autodérision
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know autodérision?

Brits and Jewish Americans might be particularly fond of this, but it doesn’t always go down well in France.

What does it mean?

It might sound like you’re making fun of somebody’s car, since auto in French refers to everything related to driving, but the auto here means “self”. So autodérision means “self-mockery”, and labels the ability to laugh at one’s own expense. It’s usually written as autodérision but you will sometimes also see auto-dérision.

Self-deprecation is one of those subtle habits which doesn’t always translate well, and can lead to a fair amount of confusion when misinterpreted, so it’s useful to be able to label it.

The success of the England football team at Euro 2020 has put the concept back into the spotlight. People have accused England fans of arrogance for singing, “It’s coming home”. But others point out that the famous 1996 anthem Three Lions is making fun of the team’s lack of success over the years.

In a recent article about the chant, France Info said the song featured une pointe d’humour et d’auto-dérision à l’anglaise – a touch of English humour and self-deprecation.

During the 2018 World Cup, Le Monde wrote that English football fans were the champions de l’autodérision – champions of self-deprecation.

Autodérision may not be as common in France, but it is still seen as something public figures in particular should be capable of. The popular Netflix series Call My Agent! relies heavily on well-known actors playing capricious and unflattering versions of themselves.

READ ALSO REVEALED The French in-jokes from TV series Call My Agent

Autodérision is one of several French words and phrases using the prefix auto. Others include:

Auto-entrepreneur – a self-employed person

Auto-évaluation – self-assessment

Auto-stop – hitchhiking

Autodestructeur – self-destructive

Auto-dépistage – self-testing (Covid tests for use at home are autotests)

Use it like this

Quand on est célèbre, il faut être capable d’autodérision – When you’re famous, you need to be able to make fun of yourself.

L’homme politique a fait preuve d’autodérision – The politician engaged in self-deprecation.

L’humour britannique est plein d’autodérision – British humour is full of self-deprecation.

Member comments

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

FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Expression of the Day: Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche

This French expression is a good one to teach your unfiltered friend.

Published: 26 April 2024 10:50 CEST
French Expression of the Day: Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche

Why do I need to know ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche?

Because depending on your sensitivity level, you would either seek out this type of person or try to stay far away from them.

What does it mean?

Ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche – roughly pronounced nuh pahz ah-vwar lah lahng dahn sah poe-sh – translates precisely as ‘to not have the tongue in the pocket’.

This is an old French expression, dating back to the 19th century, and it does not have anything to do with literal tongues in pockets. 

It refers to someone who speaks freely and without any restraint. In English one might say that ‘they do not hold back’ or perhaps ‘calls a spade a spade’ – it means someone who is blunt and says exactly what they are thinking, regardless of whether it might offend or upset people.

A person qui n’a pas la langue dans sa poche might be borderline rude, or impulsive, as they speak without thinking.

While you are most likely to hear this in the negative sense (about a blunt person), you could also use it in the opposite way (avoir la langue dans sa poche) to describe someone who is guarded and speaks carefully.

There are a couple of similar French expressions, though they do not convey exactly the same meaning of speaking carelessly. One option is être un moulin à paroles (‘to be a mill with words’, or to speak a lot and quickly, without taking any pauses). 

Another is une pipelette for someone who talks a lot and enjoys gossiping. 

Use it like this

Ne t’inquiète pas, ma belle-mère n’a pas la langue dans sa poche. Elle dira exactement ce qu’elle pense. – Don’t worry, my mother in law does not hold back. She will say exactly what she is thinking.

Il n’a pas la langue dans sa poche. Il m’a dit carrément que ma robe était moche. – He is brutally honest. He told be outright that my dress was ugly.

SHOW COMMENTS