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cursing.in curse like a local

French · Québec Sacres (Cursing by the Altar)

Câlisse !

kah-LISS · /ka.lɪs/

F***! / Christ! (Québécois sacre)

3/5 Watch your audience

genuinely rude; friends only, never at work

Literally

"Chalice (the communion cup)"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The communion chalice, pressed into service as a curse — and, gloriously, also a verb: "câlisser son camp" = to get the hell out; "je m'en câlisse" = I don't give a damn. Rated 3 for Québec, where it's a heavy-hitter of daily cursing. Polite dodge: "câline" or "câlisse" softened to "coliss." A Québec word; France just hears Canada.

Heard in the wild

Je m'en câlisse de ce qu'il pense.

I don't give a damn what he thinks.

Where it lands

Québec (Canada) — liturgical curse; not used natively in France

Quick answers

What does "Câlisse !" mean?
In French, "Câlisse !" means "F***! / Christ! (Québécois sacre)". Literally it's "Chalice (the communion cup)". The communion chalice, pressed into service as a curse — and, gloriously, also a verb: "câlisser son camp" = to get the hell out; "je m'en câlisse" = I don't give a damn. Rated 3 for Québec, where it's a heavy-hitter of daily cursing. Polite dodge: "câline" or "câlisse" softened to "coliss." A Québec word; France just hears Canada.
Is "Câlisse !" offensive?
It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
How do you pronounce "Câlisse !"?
Say it "kah-LISS" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ka.lɪs.

Related in French

Putain ! poo-TAN Damn! / F***! / The all-purpose intensifier — punctuation, really Merde ! MEHRD Shit! / Damn! — and, bizarrely, 'good luck' Bordel ! bor-DEL What a mess! / Chaos! — also 'what the hell' as an intensifier Zut ! ZOOT Darn! / Shoot! Crotte ! KROT Poop! / Darn! — the polite-company dodge for 'merde' Putain de bordel de merde ! poo-TAN duh bor-DEL duh MEHRD For f***'s holy sake! — the full three-word combo

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Damn".

how to say "Damn" →

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