French · Hand Gestures · hand gesture
Il est fou (se visser la tempe)
He's crazy / a screw loose
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
The gesture
"Tap or screw an index finger against your temple"
What your hand is actually doing.
How to use it
The universal "screw loose" temple tap, and in France it's often paired with a knowing look rather than words. Harmless, expressive, understood everywhere. Careful: aimed pointedly at someone present it can read as a jab ("you're nuts"), so save the direct version for friends.
Heard in the wild
Il traverse au rouge à vélo, il est fou !
He cycles through red lights — he's crazy!
Where it lands
France (universal); the gesture is pan-European
Quick answers
- What does "Il est fou (se visser la tempe)" mean?
- In French, "Il est fou (se visser la tempe)" means "He's crazy / a screw loose". Literally it's "Tap or screw an index finger against your temple". The universal "screw loose" temple tap, and in France it's often paired with a knowing look rather than words. Harmless, expressive, understood everywhere. Careful: aimed pointedly at someone present it can read as a jab ("you're nuts"), so save the direct version for friends.
- Is "Il est fou (se visser la tempe)" 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 "Il est fou (se visser la tempe)"?
- This one's a hand gesture — there's nothing to pronounce. Tap or screw an index finger against your temple.
Related in French
Le doigt d'honneur gesture The finger / flipping the bird Mon œil gesture My eye! / Yeah, right! / I don't believe you Le bras d'honneur gesture Up yours! — the forearm jerk (the big French one) Avoir les boules gesture To be fed up / furious / freaked out (gesture + phrase) Con KOHN Idiot / dumbass — the single most useful insult in French Ta gueule ! ta GUHL Shut up! / Shut your mouth!
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "That's crazy".
- German einen Vogel zeigen You've got a screw loose / you're insane
- Greek τρελάθηκες; Are you crazy?! / Have you lost your mind?
- Japanese やばい Insane / crazy / no way — good OR bad, from context
- Korean 미친 Crazy — from 'that's insane(ly good)!' to 'you lunatic' to a genuine slur on someone's sanity.
- Polish masakra A disaster / unbelievable / total carnage — the all-purpose 'this is insane.'
- Portuguese Sinistro Sick! / Insane! (both awesome and scary)
- Russian Псих! Psycho / nutcase
- Turkish Deli oluyorum! I'm losing my mind / this is driving me crazy
Reviewed by native speakers. Rate it differently? Tell us what we got wrong.