French expression of the day: Caca nerveux
Fear not, this is not a literal expression.
Why do I need to know caca nerveux?
Because it's an hilarious expression that makes a lot of sense once you learn what it means.
What does it mean?
Caca is French for 'poo' and nerveux means 'nervous'. So faire un caca nerveux, which is the usual phrasing, means 'to do a nervous poo'.
It sounds like a metaphor for something you do when you're really anxious or scared, like feeling the urge to vomit just before a stage performance or an important exam.
But caca nerveux isn't really about being nervous, it means 'to freak out', 'get angry' or 'lash out' for little or no reason.
Hi @realDonaldTrump my week is almost done but if you'd be so nice to let me know at what time your daily meltdown is planned I would work my schedule according to your next caca nerveux acide.
— ?️ Raűl of the Kraken (@Yayonne11) November 6, 2020
The expression's origins are pretty funny. According to French online dictionary l'Internaute, it dates back to the 20th Century and is a reference to the red, seemingly angry face a baby makes when it struggles to poop.
The idea is that someone who does a caca nerveux is getting unnecessarily hotheaded usually without it having the wanted effect.
It is often used to shrug off criticism during an argument or to make the other side seem foolishly outraged.
As you might have understood from the origins of the expression, it's very colloquial and you should not use it if, say, your think your boss is being out of line or overly dramatic.
Use it like this
Tu fais encore ton caca nerveux ? - Are you still freaking out over nothing?
Je lui ai dit que je voulais une relation ouverte et il a commencé a me faire un caca nerveux. - I told him that I wanted an open relationship and he completely freaked out.
Si je ne rentre pas avant 21h ma femme va encore faire un caca nerveux. - If I don't get home before 9pm my wife is going to go mental again.
Synonyms
S'énerver fortement - get very annoyed
Faire un caprice - freak out
Pêter un cable - to freak out
Comments
See Also
Why do I need to know caca nerveux?
Because it's an hilarious expression that makes a lot of sense once you learn what it means.
What does it mean?
Caca is French for 'poo' and nerveux means 'nervous'. So faire un caca nerveux, which is the usual phrasing, means 'to do a nervous poo'.
It sounds like a metaphor for something you do when you're really anxious or scared, like feeling the urge to vomit just before a stage performance or an important exam.
But caca nerveux isn't really about being nervous, it means 'to freak out', 'get angry' or 'lash out' for little or no reason.
Hi @realDonaldTrump my week is almost done but if you'd be so nice to let me know at what time your daily meltdown is planned I would work my schedule according to your next caca nerveux acide.
— ?️ Raűl of the Kraken (@Yayonne11) November 6, 2020
The expression's origins are pretty funny. According to French online dictionary l'Internaute, it dates back to the 20th Century and is a reference to the red, seemingly angry face a baby makes when it struggles to poop.
The idea is that someone who does a caca nerveux is getting unnecessarily hotheaded usually without it having the wanted effect.
As you might have understood from the origins of the expression, it's very colloquial and you should not use it if, say, your think your boss is being out of line or overly dramatic.
Tu fais encore ton caca nerveux ? - Are you still freaking out over nothing?
Je lui ai dit que je voulais une relation ouverte et il a commencé a me faire un caca nerveux. - I told him that I wanted an open relationship and he completely freaked out.
Si je ne rentre pas avant 21h ma femme va encore faire un caca nerveux. - If I don't get home before 9pm my wife is going to go mental again.
Synonyms
S'énerver fortement - get very annoyed
Faire un caprice - freak out
Pêter un cable - to freak out
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