What words or phrases are immediately recognized as Quebecois slang?
March 4, 2024 2:42 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for local words or phrases that I can use in relation to a family trip to Quebec province. A plus if it's kid-related (should be kid-friendly), but it doesn't have to be.
Think hella in the Bay Area, wicked/wicked pissah in the Boston Area, jawn in Philly, yinz in Pittsburgh. Merci d'avance.
Think hella in the Bay Area, wicked/wicked pissah in the Boston Area, jawn in Philly, yinz in Pittsburgh. Merci d'avance.
Most of the swears are blasphemies and generally speaking I wouldn't just use them randomly or in mixed company (there's kind of science to it - as an example). If we're talking strictly Quebec language, explore joual. Or you can prepare yourself by picking up Tintin written in Quebecois.
If you speak French or are learning try this Youtube channel: maprofdefrançais she will give you loads of Quebec expressions and how to use them correctly en français tho...
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:37 PM on March 4, 2024 [5 favorites]
If you speak French or are learning try this Youtube channel: maprofdefrançais she will give you loads of Quebec expressions and how to use them correctly en français tho...
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:37 PM on March 4, 2024 [5 favorites]
If you need one expression, my favourite is Lâche pas la patate (that website has loads of expressions to choose from as well).
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:40 PM on March 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:40 PM on March 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
These ring true to me and “la lâ” is helpful. :)
posted by warriorqueen at 3:43 PM on March 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 3:43 PM on March 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
There are a million of these but here are some of my favourites...
"capoter" - ie: J'ai capoté. It means, I freaked out, I lost my mind. It could be used for a positive or negative connotation.
"lâche les pompoms" - something you would say to someone who is too enthusiastic or convinced about something. Ie: drop your pompoms, no need to be such a cheerleader for XYZ
"bécosse" - means an outhouse. think "backhouse"
posted by winterportage at 3:48 PM on March 4, 2024 [4 favorites]
"capoter" - ie: J'ai capoté. It means, I freaked out, I lost my mind. It could be used for a positive or negative connotation.
"lâche les pompoms" - something you would say to someone who is too enthusiastic or convinced about something. Ie: drop your pompoms, no need to be such a cheerleader for XYZ
"bécosse" - means an outhouse. think "backhouse"
posted by winterportage at 3:48 PM on March 4, 2024 [4 favorites]
Thing I learned when I was learning French in Quebec: to me, "je suis chaud" would mean "I am hot," but in Quebec slang it means "I am drunk."
Joual is the best. I fucking love listening to people speak it. And I was living in Sherbrooke, so joual is very familiar to me.
posted by Kitteh at 3:51 PM on March 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
Joual is the best. I fucking love listening to people speak it. And I was living in Sherbrooke, so joual is very familiar to me.
posted by Kitteh at 3:51 PM on March 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
A depanneur (or dep) is Quebecois for corner store, bodega, that sorta thing. (I baffled a whole bunch of Parisians asking for directions to one, on a trip years ago..)
posted by btfreek at 6:53 PM on March 4, 2024 [5 favorites]
posted by btfreek at 6:53 PM on March 4, 2024 [5 favorites]
Where in France you'd say Je ne suis pas (I am not), in Quebec you can get away with dropping "ne" in a lot of phrases, so it's more like Je suis pas (and sounds like "Ch'swee poh").
Je ne sais pas (I don't know) can sound like "Je sais pas" (so it sounds like "Ch'say poh".)
Lots of Quebecois swear words are Church related:
TabarNAK (tabernacle, the rudest swear word). Tabarnouche is a sort of cutesy way to say it less rudely.
OsTEE (hostie, the host bread eaten at communion)
CauLISS (câlice, the communion chalice)
Criss (Christ)
MauDIT (maudit, damned)
These words get strung together in a lot of different ways, often with "de" connecting them.
Apparently calling Quebecois people "Pepsis" is a somewhat derogatory term in other provinces (as in, "drinkers of Pepsi", I think because it was cheaper than Coke?). I was told this by a Quebecois guy, but I grew up in Ontario and have never heard anyone actually use this.
To me a telltale Quebec sound is kind of a buzzy sound on some instances of the letter D, so for example the word lundi (Monday) sounds kinda like lunDZEE in Quebec French.
Check out afrowasiu's jokey TikTik videos explaining Quebec culture ; they're funny and charming! I love this one: How to sound Quebecois by speaking English
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:22 PM on March 4, 2024 [6 favorites]
Je ne sais pas (I don't know) can sound like "Je sais pas" (so it sounds like "Ch'say poh".)
Lots of Quebecois swear words are Church related:
TabarNAK (tabernacle, the rudest swear word). Tabarnouche is a sort of cutesy way to say it less rudely.
OsTEE (hostie, the host bread eaten at communion)
CauLISS (câlice, the communion chalice)
Criss (Christ)
MauDIT (maudit, damned)
These words get strung together in a lot of different ways, often with "de" connecting them.
Apparently calling Quebecois people "Pepsis" is a somewhat derogatory term in other provinces (as in, "drinkers of Pepsi", I think because it was cheaper than Coke?). I was told this by a Quebecois guy, but I grew up in Ontario and have never heard anyone actually use this.
To me a telltale Quebec sound is kind of a buzzy sound on some instances of the letter D, so for example the word lundi (Monday) sounds kinda like lunDZEE in Quebec French.
Check out afrowasiu's jokey TikTik videos explaining Quebec culture ; they're funny and charming! I love this one: How to sound Quebecois by speaking English
posted by nouvelle-personne at 8:22 PM on March 4, 2024 [6 favorites]
When I was a teen in Ottawa (anglo, from the West Coast), people, French and English, would always rib me for drinking Pepsi: eeeeh, you got yer Pepsi an' Jos Louis, eh?
It sounds the same in French or mock-French. To this day, I have no idea what it really means.
posted by klanawa at 9:33 PM on March 4, 2024
It sounds the same in French or mock-French. To this day, I have no idea what it really means.
posted by klanawa at 9:33 PM on March 4, 2024
Apparently calling Quebecois people "Pepsis" is a somewhat derogatory term in other provinces
Not from other provinces. It comes from Anglos in Quebec. It used to mean the same thing as calling someone a hick or a hillbilly. In Canadian French, you'd say "bleuet" (Canadian French for blueberry vs the European myrtilles) but I've heard Québécois use bleuet to mean people from Lac St. Jean and to now use Pepsi to refer to any unsophisticated person they deem a yokel. Reclaiming the insult, after a fashion. Incidentally, Anglos are tête carrée. Which is funny because in other parts of Canada, square heads refers to Germans.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:40 PM on March 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Not from other provinces. It comes from Anglos in Quebec. It used to mean the same thing as calling someone a hick or a hillbilly. In Canadian French, you'd say "bleuet" (Canadian French for blueberry vs the European myrtilles) but I've heard Québécois use bleuet to mean people from Lac St. Jean and to now use Pepsi to refer to any unsophisticated person they deem a yokel. Reclaiming the insult, after a fashion. Incidentally, Anglos are tête carrée. Which is funny because in other parts of Canada, square heads refers to Germans.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:40 PM on March 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
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