k&k learn french 95 -
la bête noire
"La bête noire" (bête noire) is one of those very interesting terms which is also employed in English. Listen to show 95 as we explain how to use it and some of the difficulties we had in providing the correct translation!
Listen to our explanation of the phrase :
Literal translation
The beast black
English equivalent
Bête noire
Bugbear
Bane of one's existence
Anathema
French equivalent
none
Frog's phrase
Vous êtes certainement d'accord avec moi, mais moi, ma bête noire, c'est quand Katia et Kyliemac font grincer leur popper-stoppers... Oh oui, ça, c'est ma bête noire, hein.
Translation
You will surely agree with me... the bane of my existence is when Katia and Kyliemac squeak their popper-stoppers... oh yes, that... that is my bête noire...
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I mainly hear this expression in sport commentary, when a player meet another player against whom he always loose.
In that sense you could use "nemesys" as an equivalent.
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so 'la bête noire' is a thing to say when one thing is really bugging the heck out of you? like living with a pesky, no good, fermented bean paste smelling, death attracting, balding, born lacking of gray matter, humanbeing?
can that person be one's la bête noire?