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French Expression of the Day: Va te faire cuire un oeuf 

The Local France
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French Expression of the Day: Va te faire cuire un oeuf 
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Unfortunately not an invitation to cook yourself a nice morning snack. 

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Why do I need to know va te faire cuire un oeuf?

Because you may want another phrase besides Occupe-toi de tes oignons for the nosy person reading over your shoulder on the Metro.

What does it mean? 

Va te faire cuire un oeuf, pronounced ‘vah tuh fair queer uhn uhf,” literally means to go cook an egg.

However, its true meaning is not found on the breakfast table: it is actually the French equivalent of “mind your own business,” much like occupe-toi de tes oignions.

In some contexts, it can also be used to tell someone to ‘go fly a kite’ or to ‘get lost’ when you want to be left alone. It joins a wide variety of other egg-related French sayings, fitting for the country known worldwide for its cuisine. 

Where did the phrase come from? Though no longer confined to the kitchen, the phrase is thought to have originated there. Historically, the kitchen was considered to be the wife's domain. So, when her husband came in to criticise her cooking, she might advise him to cook an egg, reminding him that he could not cook and thus should keep his criticisms to himself.

Use it like this

Il n'arrêtait pas de regarder mes réponses au test, alors je lui ai dit d'aller faire cuire un œuf. - He kept looking at my answers on the test, so I told him to mind his own business
 
Ils faisaient des commentaires énervants sur ma cuisine alors je leur ai dit "allez faire cuire un œuf". - They made annoying comments about my cooking so I told them to get lost

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Other egg related expressions

Chauve comme un oeuf - bald like an egg

Marcher sur les oeufs - walk on eggshells

Tuer dans l’œuf - to nip something in the bud

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