Merde!: The Real French You Were Never Taught at School

by Geneviève, Michael Heath (Illustrator)

Learn all the French argot (slang), dirty words, and necessary tools of communication your teachers left out of their lesson plans with this essential survival guide to understanding everyday French.Deliciously saucy and full of wit Merde! is a practical guide for understanding French, as it really is spoken. This real-life resource is for anyone who remembers thumbing through English/French dictionaries for such words as "toilet paper" and "damn," as well as for the far more interesting, titillating terms that would never be used in polite conversation. But real French isn't spoken with the intent of being polite... With epithets for every occasion, a range of colorful idioms, and a wealth of come-ons and put-downs, this is the only language book you'll need to prepare for a trip to the city of lights.

Genres: France, Language, Reference, Nonfiction, Travel, Humor

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1984

Reviews

[ALLEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, this 1960 classic may look seriously out of date what with all the changes in the French language -- including its slang expressions and obscenities -- over the last nearly sixty years. Nonetheless I prefer this volume to some of its more recent competitors: it makes the student of French perform the right grammar to insult the right persons(s) in the right way, and it speaks to the appropriateness of doing so. This makes it much more useful and flexible than some of the Jacques-come-latelies. Any "Junior year abroad" student or serious tourist/traveler to any Francophone country can benefit from MERDE!, and it would make a great gift to such a person.

[eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

somewhat misogynistic, but that's slang for you. this book has helped me understand conversational french SO much better, because every-day french is much more vulgar than your professor would have you know.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is utterly hilarious and totally indispensable if you are going to spend any time in France (or indeed other francophone countries). It gives you the gen on all the profanities on offer in la belle langue. What really makes this a little gem is that the words are starred helping you to judge the severity of each insult; this is helpful because often there are no direct translations and usage is very different. We have had much fun bringing this out with French friends and now that my son is at secondary school in France, it is coming into its own.

[Alexander Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool language book...french slang, bad language. A great self-defense book for french travel.

[Mandy Conant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha, soooo funny.

[J.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny little book that compiles together in one place all French insults, curses, and slang. I would've loved a copy in high school.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

You wanna know dirty words and slang? This is the book for you. More information than I could absorb my first time through for sure.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un petit peu vieillot, mais toujours utile .

[Luc Forsyth · Rating 1 out of 5]

i mean this is the most unserious book to try and analyse on a linguistic level but i stand by it: comedic books often provide you with the most authentic perspectives on social issues + contexts.
yikes, i mean there’s a whole section on how to correctly ‘indulge in racism + xenophobia’’ which is interesting! not problematic in the slightest! but then again, the author argues that to be racist + to look down your nose at people, is to be the most authentic sort of french person possible. hmm. no comment.
the author also argues that foreign influences on the french language are akin to an ‘invasion’’, describing it as a sir rod disease that needs to be contained. it’s actually quite a prescriptivist book, without intending to be, as the resounding message to the reader indicates that to speak this language truly correctly, you must speak it in the most foul way possible. that’s controversial for sure, but also enforcing the ideas that there’s only one way to ‘properly’ speak french. odd.

[Alan Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this when I arrived in France in the late 80's, as an adult. It made a huge difference to my ability to understand everyday French, which so different from what is taught at school. It feels silly to still be recommending this decades-old book, but I have not found a more modern replacement (recommendations welcome). I especially like the Michelin star system for the rudeness of different expressions. Three star words should only be used between foul-mouthed friends. One star is OK in everyday life.

An invaluable guide to make the transition from grammatically correct to sounding like someone French, and understanding everyday speech.

[Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's just what it says it is: a book a French slang, some of it witty, some of it risqué, some of it witty and risqué. Yes, I'm learning Spanish now, but I intend once I'm done with that course to bone up on my French. This book should supplement those studies nicely. And yes, I am grinning when I say that.

[Rick McClure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. I originally got this book in order to understand movies and books better. I’m not sure how old some of these terms are, but from what I can tell – 50% of the phrases are still pretty common. I skimmed the book, and plan to add little bits to my vocabulary based on how often I see the phrases used in regular conversations.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très sympa et utile !

[Frederic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really funny, with great illustrations enhancing the anarchistic tone.

[sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I can curse like a Frenchman!

[johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

oui!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merde: The Real French You Were Never Taught at School by Genevieve (1986)

[Carrie]

humor

[Elian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool!

[Nicole]

FFS: the last thing americans abroad in France need is to be EVEN LESS POLITE.

[Enid Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned all my dirty French from it, even quoted a sentence or two from it for my steamy stories.