ma France
Entry Nº 01 · Le French
C’est quoi ce bordel?
The heartbreak, the heritage and the swearing behind Le French.
I know, it’s vulgar and shocking. But the reality is, that’s how French people talk. Even the wealthy, the elite, the educated. It’s part of our culture.
And I say our because my family is from there. My mom is from there. I lived there as a teenager, and then again in my twenties, living and working in Paris. My family, my cousins and my childhood friends are all still there, so I go back as often as I can. I’ve lived in the United States since 2003, but I’m still very tied to that country, and I love everything about my heritage.
Whenever I go back and hear people talking this way, with all the vulgarity, it’s heartwarming in a way. It’s familiar. It’s comfortable.
The spark
France is such a beautiful country. So much history, culture and heritage, and such a fierce, strong identity. The sayings are the same everywhere, because the culture is so unified.
Watching the division and the damage in the streets these past days has been breaking my heart. It brought up rage, frustration. And that’s exactly where these expressions live.
C’est quoi ce bordel: literally “what is this whorehouse,” but really: what is this insane, unnecessary mess?
And then there’s the indifference. People watching and going “bof.”
Overheard at every French dinner table
The sayings wall
- c’est quoi ce bordel
- oh là là
- bof
- mais c’est pas possible
- on ne lâche pas
- non mais là, j’en peux plus
- c’est ridicule
- attends…
- tu l’as dit, bouffi
- oui mais non
- alors là
- pffffff…
- n’importe quoi
- en même temps
- c’est pas gagné
- je te jure
- quelle histoire
- on verra
- allez hop
- hein, non
- bah voilà
- eh ben dis donc
- c’est n’imp
- à toute
- eh ben, à plus
- impec
- d’acc
- insupp
- ah, c’est la cata
And there are infinite more, all headed for shirts, mugs and bags.
“I don’t want to make this about politics. It’s me expressing my creativity, honoring French culture as it’s spoken, with a nod and a wink.”
So that’s the inspiration. This whole line is a reflection of the culture, and I want to bring it to life.
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