What They Didn't Teach You in French Class: Slang Phrases for the Cafe, Club, Bar, Bedroom, Ball Game and More

by Adrien Clautrier, Henry Rowe

Sipping a caf� au lait at a sidewalk bistro...
Getting down at Paris's hottest club...
Cheering on Les Bleus at the stadium...

Drop the textbook formality and chat with the locals in France's everyday language.

- What's up? �a va?
- She's totally hot. Elle est bandante.
- This party is lit! Cette bringue est enflamm�e!
- That brie smells funky. Ce brie sent putain de dr�le.
- Wanna French kiss? On se roule une pelle?
- That ref is a moron. L'arbitre est un abruti.

Genres: Nonfiction, France, Travel

192 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2017

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amusing, pocket-sized hardcover that does what the title professes to do: instructs the reader in French that is too in the vernacular or crude to be taught in any standard class. One of the major downsides: the book assumes basic knowledge of French and provides no pronunciation guides, which is something I would have found incredibly useful.

While the book does have some very vulgar chapters regarding sex and insults, much of the book doesn't go that far, instead elaborating on good lines for various social situations ranging from bars to playing video games. There are also handy cultural insights, such as that the French really do like insults along scatological lines such as in Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("I fart in your general direction!").

[Navyredrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite reference book to read for fun. Especially delightful if you’re in the midst of learning French for fun and want something to help ease you into reading French. I didn’t read this book all at once - I picked it up every now and again enjoying it slowly like a well aged wine. Don’t read around others if you don’t want to disturb them. Was unable to contain my peals of delight when wandering the pages.

[Katrina Kusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Definitely they don't teach this in French class. My daughter loves it.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bien que ce livre n'ait pas de guide de prononciation, les phrases ici n'ont pas de prix.

Although this book does not have a pronunciation guide, the phrases in here are priceless.

[John D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Informative

Easy, fun reading for a French slang guide. Gets you up-to-date with current slang while teaching some basic lessons about informal French culture.

[rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wild swing from A1 and C2 material with the usability and applicability of the slang. A lot of the examples here I just do not see using, ever, while the rest should be known to anyone who has taken a French class. The author is 99% millennial; there is some peak 2010 humor in this.
Fun little gag read for your francophiles, I suppose, but probably doesn't have much use beyond due to the complete unusability of like half of the terms.
Examples (look at your own risk)


Would you please be so kind as to remove your knee from my balls. / Je te prierai de bien vouloir retirer ton genou de mes couilles.

Me, 30!? No way, it’s just that we slept in the train station last night. / Moi, trente ans?! Mais non, c'est qu'on a créché a la gare hier soir!

| was so high, | ate a pound of cookie dough. / J’étais tellement a l’ouest, j'ai bouffé 500 grammes de pate a galettes.

It's not that classy to leave skidmarks in the bowl. / Ce n’est pas trés classe de laisser des traces de freinage au fond de la cuvette.


and the crowning jewel


To slip or slide out like a nun’s fart against a stained glass window. / Glisser comme un pet de bonne sceur sur le vitrail d'une cathédrale


and many more

i get that these are meant to be for the gag...but rlly?