French · At the Bar
Picoler
pee-ko-LAY · /pi.kɔ.le/
To booze / knock 'em back
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"To tipple"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Affectionate slang for drinking (alcohol), with a whiff of "a bit too much." "Il picole" gently implies someone's a serious drinker. Mild, everyday, more colourful than the neutral "boire." Good bar vocabulary that isn't rude.
Heard in the wild
Il picole depuis midi, celui-là.
That guy's been boozing since noon.
Where it lands
France (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "Picoler" mean?
- In French, "Picoler" means "To booze / knock 'em back". Literally it's "To tipple". Affectionate slang for drinking (alcohol), with a whiff of "a bit too much." "Il picole" gently implies someone's a serious drinker. Mild, everyday, more colourful than the neutral "boire." Good bar vocabulary that isn't rude.
- Is "Picoler" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "Picoler"?
- Say it "pee-ko-LAY" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: pi.kɔ.le.
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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