Let's be sérieux!

Can't quite come up with the right French quip or four-letter word? With Talk Dirty: French, you'll be able to put your (middle) finger on it. Each entry provides an individual foreign gem, a useful French sentence employing the word, the expression's English counterpart, and its literal translation.

Whether you're a native-speaker, world traveler, or just looking to tell off those brash Parisians, these naughty words and risqué slang will surely give your tongue a French twist.

Les couilles: the balls

French Expression: Je l'ai avertie-elle ne m'a pas écoute alors maintenant je m'en bats les couilles.

Translation: I warned her--she didn't listen to me so now I'm washing my hands of it.

Literal Translation: I warned her--she didn't listen to me so now I'm flapping my balls of it.