Why do I need to know cracher?
Because it's frowned upon more than usual right now. One town in France has even made it a punishable offence.
What does it mean?
Cracher is the not-so-noble art of projeter de la salive et des mucosités par la bouche – 'projecting saliva and phlegm in the mouth'.
It is, what we in English know as 'spitting'.
Cracher par terre – 'spitting on the ground' – is not something that has every made anyone particularly popular in France.
But, like in most societies, it has been tolerated as a slightly unhygienic bad habit.
However since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic it has become one of the ultimate symbols of transmission des bactéries – 'spreading bacteria'.
In one small commune near Lille in the north of France, spitting now means risking a €68 fine.
Use it like this
Tu craches par terre comme ça devant tout le monde? Mais tu es dégueulasse ! – Did you just spit on the ground in front of everyone? You're disgusting!
Tu as fini dans la salle de bain? Faut que je crache le dentifrice dans le lavabos – Are you finished in the bathroom? I need to spit the toothpaste into the sink
Désolée, j'ai craché sans refléchir – Sorry, I spat without thinking
Cracher can be used about spitting other things than saliva.
Un volcan crache de la lave – a volcano spits lava
Un dragon crache du feu – a dragon spits fire
Un serpant crache du venin – a snake spits poison
Or, you also have cracheurs de feu – fire eaters – the performers you sometimes spot on holiday.
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