French · At the Bar
Cul sec !
koo SEK · /ky sɛk/
Bottoms up! / Down it in one!
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"Dry ass/bottom"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The command to empty your glass in one go — "dry bottom" as in the bottom of the glass. Playful, mildly cheeky (that "cul" again), and a staple of any French drinking table. Chanted at people nursing their drink too slowly.
Heard in the wild
Allez, cul sec, cul sec !
Come on, down it, down it!
Where it lands
France (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Cul sec !" mean?
- In French, "Cul sec !" means "Bottoms up! / Down it in one!". Literally it's "Dry ass/bottom". The command to empty your glass in one go — "dry bottom" as in the bottom of the glass. Playful, mildly cheeky (that "cul" again), and a staple of any French drinking table. Chanted at people nursing their drink too slowly.
- Is "Cul sec !" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "Cul sec !"?
- Say it "koo SEK" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ky sɛk.
Related in French
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "A rude toast".
- German Prost! Cheers!
- Greek γεια μας Cheers! — the standard toast.
- Italian Cin cin! Cheers!
- Japanese 一気 Chug! Chug! / down it in one!
- Korean 짠! Cheers! — the toast is the sound effect itself.
- Polish na zdrowie! Cheers! — the standard toast (and also 'bless you' after a sneeze).
- Portuguese Cachaça Cachaça — Brazilian sugarcane liquor; slang for booze/a drinking habit
- Russian На посошок! One for the road!
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