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French expression of the day: Se faire des couilles en or

The Local France
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French expression of the day: Se faire des couilles en or
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond"

In France, you wouldn't say no to getting 'golden balls' (and not the ones you use to decorate your Christmas tree).

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Why do I need to know se faire des couilles en or?

Because, if someone tells you they have this, you might want to keep them as a friend.

What does it mean?

Se faire des couilles en or means 'to make oneself balls of gold'.

Couilles is colloquial French for testicules (testicles), and the full expression colloquial too.

It means 'becoming filthy rich', 'making oneself a fortune' or 'earning a lot of money'.

Exactly when and why 'golden balls' became the ultimate symbol of wealth in France is not known, but this is not the only French expression that uses the male genitalia to make a point.

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You might know avoir des couilles (to have balls), which means the same in French as in English, to be 'ballsy', 'brave' or 'bold'.

READ ALSO: French language finally about to embrace its feminine side

Use it like this

Avant le Covid, il se faisait des couilles en or avec sa crêpérie. Maintenant ce n'est plus le cas. - Before Covid, he earned tons of money at his crêpes restaurant. That's not the case anymore.

Quand tu parles chinois en France, je peux te dire qu'il y a moyen se faire des couilles en or. - When you speak Mandarin in France, there are ways to make a fortune, that much I can tell you.

Tu imagines si on avait investi en Bitcoin dès que c'est sorti ? On aurait des couilles en or aujourd'hui ! - Can you imagine if we'd invested in Bitcoin as soon at it was launched? We'd be loaded today!

Synonyms

Etre blindé des thunes - slang for 'to be filthy rich'

Un richard (pejorative) - a nob, toff or someone very posh

Gauche caviar - rich leftie with socialist values (not the same but it's worth knowing)

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