mot de Cambronne

French

Etymology

Literally, “word of Cambronne”. From General Pierre Cambronne (1770–1842), who supposedly made a one-word response to the British request that he surrender at the Battle of Waterloo.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mo d(ə) kɑ̃.bʁɔn/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

le mot de Cambronne m (plural mots de Cambronne)

  1. (euphemistic) the word merde (“shit”); the s-word, s-bomb
    Synonym: mot de cinq lettres
    • 1862, Victor Hugo, chapter 15, in Les Misérables, Tome II : Cosette, book 1:
      Le mot de Cambronne fait d'effet d'une fracture.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1920–1921, Marcel Proust, Le Côté de Guermantes [The Guermantes Way] (À la recherche du temps perdu)‎[1]:
      «  […] Il n’a pas assez de majuscules pour écrire le mot de Cambronne. »
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
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