So, this is my son’s favorite joke (he is eight).
Il y’avait deux patates… elles voulaient traverser la route, puis en traversant l’une des pommes de terre se fit écraser…L’autre patate dit quoi ?? (Reponse) : Purée !
Yes, “Purée” is an expression in French. It’s a “soft” swear word…. means something like “Drat!” or “Darn!” but it seems really funny to me every time people say it….
“Oh, Mashed potatoes!!”
The other expression I like, which means the same thing is: “Mince!” — that means “thin” when you use it as a non-expletive word. I hear this more with the older population, it is my mother in law’s favourite, for example : Oh miiiiince, je ne trouve pas mes lunettes! Her other favorite would be a string of “oh-Mon-dieu-mon-dieu-mondieu-mon-dieu-oh-la-la-la-la-la-mon-dieu!!!” People in France really do say « oh la la la » all the time.
Of course there is the ever popular “Zut”, “Zut alors!” and also “ah, Bordel!” (mess!)
I won’t get into the “hard” swear words, there are plenty. Since I have small kids around, I try to keep it to mashed potatoes!!
This is not a very clear photo, but I sometimes go to Starbucks here and found it amusing to see quite an array of foods. In Boston, you’ve got your muffin, cake or scone. In Paris they offer, among other things, a pavé brioché with medallions of foie gras and confits d’oignons! I just can’t imagine folks in the States munching duck liver along with their grande skim lattes!!
I don’t think this works a store name in English.
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