French Expression of the Day: Ce n’est pas très catholique
Driving with your non-French driver’s licence after the one year limit probably falls into this category
Why do I need to know ce n’est pas très catholique?
Because you might have experienced things that would fall into this category when moving out of a rented flat in France.
What does it mean?
Ce n’est pas très catholique – pronounced suh nay pah tray cah-toe-leek – is the equivalent of the English term “not very kosher” or “not very Orthodox.” It refers to doing something that is morally questionable - an activity that might fall into a legal or ethical grey area.
The expression in French dates back to the 18th century, and - as you guessed - refers to the moral values promoted by the Catholic Church.
Originally, the French used the expression "ce n'est pas très orthodoxe" which referenced anything that was not ‘by the book’ - the book being the Bible and the related religious dogma.
It can also refer to something that is simply questionable.
Use it like this
Ce n’est pas très catholique, mais au minimum c’est efficace. – It is not very kosher, but at least it’s effective.
Je sais que ce n'est pas très catholique, mais je n'ai pas payé mon dernier mois de loyer parce que je voulais être sûre de recevoir l'argent pour mon dépôt de garantie - I know it is not exactly kosher, but I did not pay the last month of rent because I wanted to be sure I would get the money for my security deposit.
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Why do I need to know ce n’est pas très catholique?
Because you might have experienced things that would fall into this category when moving out of a rented flat in France.
What does it mean?
Ce n’est pas très catholique – pronounced suh nay pah tray cah-toe-leek – is the equivalent of the English term “not very kosher” or “not very Orthodox.” It refers to doing something that is morally questionable - an activity that might fall into a legal or ethical grey area.
The expression in French dates back to the 18th century, and - as you guessed - refers to the moral values promoted by the Catholic Church.
Originally, the French used the expression "ce n'est pas très orthodoxe" which referenced anything that was not ‘by the book’ - the book being the Bible and the related religious dogma.
It can also refer to something that is simply questionable.
Use it like this
Ce n’est pas très catholique, mais au minimum c’est efficace. – It is not very kosher, but at least it’s effective.
Je sais que ce n'est pas très catholique, mais je n'ai pas payé mon dernier mois de loyer parce que je voulais être sûre de recevoir l'argent pour mon dépôt de garantie - I know it is not exactly kosher, but I did not pay the last month of rent because I wanted to be sure I would get the money for my security deposit.
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