Faux Pas Big Time

 Without going into all the details, I will go straight to the point and keep this story short. While antiquing with the French la Vie, a woman on the street tripped and fell. She broke a tooth, skinned her face, and her toe was mangled. There were a couple of musicians nearby, and they ran over to help her. I reached into my purse for arnica. Everyone in France carries arnica with them. I put ten granules into the cap giving it to the person holding the woman who had tripped. "This is arnica," I said to the woman, "Would you like some?" She nodded.

In French, I said, "Take it all at once." Just then, everyone around froze, staring at me in disbelief. At that moment, I realized the faux pas I had mispronounced the words "all at once" and instead had said, "Put it in her butt." 

Thirty-four years later, I am reminded of the book… Me Talk Pretty.

 

… dans ton cul (in your butt)

… d'un coup (all at once)



Comments

18 responses to “Faux Pas Big Time”

  1. CHRISTINE JACOB

    😀
    I say all the time “merci beau cul” instead of “merci beaucoup”….Good way of breaking the ice (sometimes)

  2. Ha Ha! Good one. Oh the small slips. I like the ones that are perfectly sensible, like “bunch beds” instead of “bunk beds” that a francophone friend once said. I mean, it suited, right? It actually makes MORE sense than the English! – Kate

  3. I don’t mean to be insensitive to how mortified you must have been Corey, but that is really hilarious.

  4. Oh man! We’ve all been there!
    When I was first learning to sign for the deaf I was (inappropriately) asked to jump in because the licensed interpreter had failed to show up at a women’s church conference I was attending. I did fine during the first session, then was shockingly wrong in the second. A Therapist was speaking on parenting, and different personalities a child may have, one being a “class clown”. Out of all the words I knew- I had no sign for “clown” and I forgot the #1 rule is if you don’t know a word sign you should finger-spell it. I quickly asked a friend who’s husband’s parents were deaf if she knew the sign, she gestured something quick which I adopted and signed… to the shock of all those deaf church ladies. I knew immediately I had signed something wrong, but I kept going avoiding that sign again. Later that night I asked the husband what the sign had meant -he told me that I had literally signed “Sometimes your child is just an @$$-#0/e !” I was horrified…and I had to return for a second day of interpreting the following morning, humbled, shamed, and apologetic! They were very gracious, but yes, that faux pas has followed me for decades!

  5. Oh that is so very funny! I got on the elevator at a London tube station years ago and panicked and asked what floor it was going to. One of those say you are a tourist without saying you are a tourist moments.

  6. Haha! You could have offered her more and said here’s another 10 for your foot. But it’s well intentioned and at least her butt won’t be inflamed if applied there. After a fall, one never knows.

  7. Oh, Corey!🤭 Your heart was in the right place!

  8. I’m laughing out loud!

  9. Jennifer Phillipps

    OOPS! Well it got everyone’s attention, so that worked! Well done you for being prepared. Cheers Jennie. NZ

  10. HAAAAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I needed a good laugh this morning!

  11. Oh well, at least you were there to help!

  12. Wellllll. Thank God you have your wit and your wits. Here in Canada, those of us who carry Arnica and Apis (for bee stings) are considered dolts

  13. Just spit out my coffee! Hilarious!

  14. Oh Corey, I STILL make mistakes in Portuguese. What’s really bad is when I commit faux pas in English!

  15. Gina Lanman

    I am laughing out loud! You are adorable and I love you with all the faux pas!

  16. Sad she fell, but laughing at the words!
    Thanks for the laugh!

  17. Oh, Corey. 😂🤣😂

  18. Once upon a time when at university, I took a French class. My professor told us a term that she said one must never use because it was a big insult in French. And so one night decades later when meeting my new friend Yann, I tried to impress with my limited French skills. CLEARLY I mispronounced my word because Yann said I must not say what I said because it was a not-nice-word in French. I knew then that I said that-which-must-not-be-said.
    Sacré bleu!!!

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