Is "Avoir les boules" 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 "Avoir les boules"?

This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Both fists held at the base of the throat, sometimes shaken slightly.

Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.

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French · Hand Gestures · hand gesture

Avoir les boules

To be fed up / furious / freaked out (gesture + phrase)

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

The gesture

"Both fists held at the base of the throat, sometimes shaken slightly"

What your hand is actually doing.

How to use it

"The balls" — fists at the throat miming lumps of anger stuck there. Both a gesture and a phrase ("j'ai les boules" = I'm fed up / gutted / stressed). The related "avoir les glandes" means the same. Mild and expressive; more venting than aggressive. Also carries a "freaked out / anxious" sense depending on context.

Heard in the wild

On m'a volé mon vélo, j'ai les boules.

Someone stole my bike, I'm so pissed off.

Where it lands

France (universal)

Quick answers

What does "Avoir les boules" mean?: In French, "Avoir les boules" means "To be fed up / furious / freaked out (gesture + phrase)". Literally it's "Both fists held at the base of the throat, sometimes shaken slightly". "The balls" — fists at the throat miming lumps of anger stuck there. Both a gesture and a phrase ("j'ai les boules" = I'm fed up / gutted / stressed). The related "avoir les glandes" means the same. Mild and expressive; more venting than aggressive. Also carries a "freaked out / anxious" sense depending on context.
Is "Avoir les boules" 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 "Avoir les boules"?: This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Both fists held at the base of the throat, sometimes shaken slightly.

Related in French

Putain ! poo-TAN Damn! / F***! / The all-purpose intensifier — punctuation, really Bordel ! bor-DEL What a mess! / Chaos! — also 'what the hell' as an intensifier Putain de merde ! poo-TAN duh MEHRD For f***'s sake! / Goddammit! Putain de bordel de merde ! poo-TAN duh bor-DEL duh MEHRD For f***'s holy sake! — the full three-word combo Nom de Dieu ! nohn duh DYUH Goddammit! / For God's sake! Ça me fait chier ! sa muh fay SHYAY This pisses me off / What a pain in the ass

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Calm down".

how to say "Calm down" →

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