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French Word of the Day: Quiche

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French Word of the Day: Quiche
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

While quiche may be a quintessential French dish, you certainly don't want to be labeled one.

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Why do I need to know quiche? 

Because if someone calls you quiche, you have the right to be insulted. 

What does it mean? 

Quiche, pronounced keesh, is a classic French savoury tart. 

If you have been in France for some time, there is no doubt that you have enjoyed a quiche Lorraine - a version which contains lardons or bacon - at some point.

However, this word is also used as an insult to describe someone as stupid or clumsy. 

Vous êtes vraiment une quiche - You are truly an idiot 

Quelle bande de quiche - What a group of fools 

If you want to use quiche as a noun, to the same end, you can call someone an espèce de quiche - which literally translates as species of quiche. 

Casses-toi espèce de quiche ! - Get out of here you idiot!

Quiche is thought to have come from a now defunct form of German, where it was variously written as kuoche, kuocho or kuoho. It was first written in French at some point in the early 19th Century. 

While it is certainly rude to use quiche as an insult, most French people would not consider it to be a swear word. It is a bit like calling someone a nitwit. 

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Other uses of quiche 

Unfortunately, the weaponisation of quiche does not stop there. 

In French, quiche can also mean slap. 

Continue comme ça et tu vas te prendre une quiche ! - Continue like that and you will get a slap 

As a verb, quicher, is a slang way to talk about vomiting. 

J'ai quiché dans la voiture - I threw up in the car

J'ai besoin de quicher - I need to be sick 

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Anonymous 2022/03/16 16:21
There's a possibly apochryphal story that some English speakers think the "que" ending of quiche is pronounced "kay". Which can lead to unfortunate misinterpretation when, for example, you might invite a new acquaintance: "Fancy going back to my place for a quiche?"

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