French Word of the Day: Cocasse
You might use this French word at a comedy set.
Why do I need to know cocasse?
Because you'll want a new word to add in when telling your French friends about the hilarious thing that happened to you this week.
What does it mean?
Cocasse – roughly pronounced koe-kahss – describes something or someone who is funny, ridiculous, or comical.
Cocasse is a slang word, so you would likely hear it in informal settings.
It is originally derived from the word coquard, which means to have a swollen eye after being punched. Cocasse can be used to describe slap-stick humour, and in the early 1900s it was often used to call someone a ‘jester’ or a ‘buffoon’, these days you are more likely to hear someone recount a story about a ‘situation cocasse’ (a ridiculous, funny, or strange situation).
Keep in mind that using the word cocasse to describe something or someone probably means that there was at least some laughter involved.
If you are looking for a synonym to cocasse, you could say ‘rigolo’ or ‘comique’.
Use it like this
Le film Le Cirque de Charlie Chaplin est l'un des plus drôles de tous les temps, il est vraiment très cocasse. – The movie ‘The Circus’ by Charlie Chaplin is one of the funniest of all time, it’s really hilarious.
Je lui ai raconté l'histoire du gars qui a vraiment glissé sur une banane devant notre bureau. C'était tellement cocasse que tout le monde a rigolé. – I told her the story of the guy actually slipping on a banana outside our office. It was so ridiculous, everyone laughed.
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Why do I need to know cocasse?
Because you'll want a new word to add in when telling your French friends about the hilarious thing that happened to you this week.
What does it mean?
Cocasse – roughly pronounced koe-kahss – describes something or someone who is funny, ridiculous, or comical.
Cocasse is a slang word, so you would likely hear it in informal settings.
It is originally derived from the word coquard, which means to have a swollen eye after being punched. Cocasse can be used to describe slap-stick humour, and in the early 1900s it was often used to call someone a ‘jester’ or a ‘buffoon’, these days you are more likely to hear someone recount a story about a ‘situation cocasse’ (a ridiculous, funny, or strange situation).
Keep in mind that using the word cocasse to describe something or someone probably means that there was at least some laughter involved.
If you are looking for a synonym to cocasse, you could say ‘rigolo’ or ‘comique’.
Use it like this
Le film Le Cirque de Charlie Chaplin est l'un des plus drôles de tous les temps, il est vraiment très cocasse. – The movie ‘The Circus’ by Charlie Chaplin is one of the funniest of all time, it’s really hilarious.
Je lui ai raconté l'histoire du gars qui a vraiment glissé sur une banane devant notre bureau. C'était tellement cocasse que tout le monde a rigolé. – I told her the story of the guy actually slipping on a banana outside our office. It was so ridiculous, everyone laughed.
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