k&k learn french 52 -
nom d'un chien
Feel the need to swear, but don't want to actually swear? In show 52, we tell you just how to do that : "nom d'un chien" (WARNING : this episode does contain swearing - for educational purposes, of course).
Listen to our explanation of the phrase :
Literal translation
Name of a dog
English equivalent
Shoot / sugar = shit
Fruit / flip = fuck
Freaking / fricken = fucking
For goodness sake(s) = for God's sake
French equivalent
Nom de Dieu
Dom d'une pipe
Frog's phrase
Pamela. Vous êtes en France depuis la deuxième guerre mondiale. Mais apprenez le français, nom d'un chien.
Translation
Pamela. You've been in France since World War 2. Learn French, for goodness sakes!
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I just can't feel these expressions being so vulgar. In my mind they are quite innocent.
Nom d'un chien, nom de dieu, nom d'une pipe (en bois) are quite equivalent for me.
Maybe "nom d'un petit bonhomme" is softer and more childproof
Maybe it's something about the difference in relation to swear words in the US and in France. It is very strange for french people that US tv is still beeped on swear words.