Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Getting back on topic...

Over the weekend the Canadian university (gridiron) football championship took place. It is known as the Vanier Cup.

The two teams playing were the Université Laval Rouge et Or from Quebec City, and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks from Waterloo in Southern Ontario.

Before the game, the star player of the Golden Hawks deliberately bumped into one of the Laval players and said "you guys had better speak English - this is our country!"

https://x.com/rainorshinemdia/status/1860799756336820407

Final score: Rouge et Or 22 Golden Hawks 17

Now I would normally put this down to an isolated incident by some idiot, but the week before the Laval team travelled to Regina Saskatchewan to play the Rams, in the semi-final that would give them a spot in the championship game.

There, one of the Regina Rams coaches said in front of a CBC camera, "there's nothin' like takin' it to a bunch of French (sic) guys".

Here is the video of that:

https://www.instagram.com/turcotstephane/reel/DCh1Pb3KbUj/

Note that I have mentioned that Québécois don't generally use the term "Français" (French) to identify themselves, but the reporter used it ironically throughout this segment.

Final Score: Laval Rouge et Or 17 Regina 14

RIBBIT

While surely a classroom case of ignorance by some football boneheads, I don't think I would put a lot of stock into some pre-game trash talk. IMHO they certainly don't represent the views of the average Canadian, and definitely do not represent my own views. Sport can be really dumb at times, and here is one of those times.

I agree, though, that they made themselves look like a bunch of idiots.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by lio45

« Y sont mieux, les osties, de jamais m'envoyer une tabarnak de facture, parce que ça va brasser en Jésus-Chri!!! ´Stie de câlisse de mangeux d’marde!!! »

^ wouldn’t be excessively cartoonish. The plaster part, nah, that’s over the threshold!

Personally it's the "ça va brasser" part especially that made me burst into laughter.

In France we use it essentially to say "brasser des millions", or "brasser des affaires".

[lio45]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Personally it's the "ça va brasser" part especially that made me burst into laughter.

In France we use it essentially to say "brasser des millions", or "brasser des affaires".

Here it’s common modern use. « Ça brasse en tabarnak là-d’dans! » for example (for, say, a crackhouse SRO building…) would be a perfectly normal thing to say.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Personally it's the "ça va brasser" part especially that made me burst into laughter.

In France we use it essentially to say "brasser des millions", or "brasser des affaires".

"Ça va brasser" didn't stick out to me because it's so common here. It's definitely not caricatural, and I'd bet that after some time spent here people from France would probably use it from time to time.

[MolsonExport]

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

"Ça va brasser" didn't stick out to me because it's so common here. It's definitely not caricatural, and I'd bet that after some time spent here people from France would probably use it from time to time.

The equivalent in France would be this, at 2 seconds in the video, by the inimitable Louis de Funès. The way he says it always makes me laugh so much!!

• Video Link

Louis de Funès is very good for French expletives and expressions of anger. This is your 3 minutes of France's slangs:

• Video Link

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The equivalent in France would be this, at 2 seconds in the video, by the inimitable Louis de Funès. The way he says it always makes me laugh so much!!

• Video Link

Louis de Funès is very good for French expletives and expressions of anger. This is your 3 minutes of France's slangs:

• Video Link

I was actually going to propose "ça va chauffer" as the franchouillard equivalent to "ça va brasser".

We also know and might say "foutre le camp", though "sacrer le camp" or (more vulgar) "crisser le camp" are more typical of here.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I was actually going to propose "ça va chauffer" as the franchouillard equivalent to "ça va brasser".

My mom says "ça va camphrer".

Originally Posted by Acajack

We also know and might say "foutre le camp", though "sacrer le camp" or (more vulgar) "crisser le camp" are more typical of here.

"Crisse moi l'camp" ?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

My mom says "ça va camphrer".


"Crisse moi l'camp" ?

Something like this.

Crisse ton camp (d'icitte) = get the fuck outta here

Je vais crisser mon camp or il faut que je crisse mon camp = I gotta get the fuck outta here

Something like "foutez-moi le camp" as in leave me the fuck alone, would be:

crisse-moi la paix

câlissez-moi la paix

And even

foutez-moi la paix

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

While surely a classroom case of ignorance by some football boneheads, I don't think I would put a lot of stock into some pre-game trash talk. IMHO they certainly don't represent the views of the average Canadian, and definitely do not represent my own views. Sport can be really dumb at times, and here is one of those times.

I agree, though, that they made themselves look like a bunch of idiots.

This is the second post minimizing this behaviour.

Am I to conclude that sports trash talk that focuses on ethnic or linguistic characteristics is acceptable now? Or is it just acceptable when it targets certain groups?

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Something like this.

Crisse ton camp (d'icitte) = get the fuck outta here

Je vais crisser mon camp or il faut que je crisse mon camp = I gotta get the fuck outta here

Something like "foutez-moi le camp" as in leave me the fuck alone, would be:

crisse-moi la paix

câlissez-moi la paix

And even

foutez-moi la paix

"Fouttez moi l'camp" means "get the fuck outta here". "Hors de ma vue !" would be a more polite way to say it. "Barre toi" or "casse toi" a more rude and contemporary way of saying it.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

"Fouttez moi l'camp" means "get the fuck outta here". "Hors de ma vue !" would be a more polite way to say it. "Barre toi" or "casse toi" a more rude and contemporary way of saying it.

If you add "pauvre con" it's even better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eau5_Gi3icQ

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Acajack

If you add "pauvre con" it's even better!

Or “connard!”

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

Or “connard!”

We don't use "connard" nearly enough in Quebec. Pourtant, there are lots of occasions where we could. No shortage of candidates.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

This is the second post minimizing this behaviour.

Am I to conclude that sports trash talk that focuses on ethnic or linguistic characteristics is acceptable now? Or is it just acceptable when it targets certain groups?

Trash talk obviously has it's limits. You obviously can't target ethnicity anymore. Linguistically based trash talk also has it's limits (although is it OK to trash your anglophone opponent en francais because he can't understand you??? Enquiring minds would like to know).

Would you prefer if that ignorant football player instead had remarked on the shapeliness of the Laval player's mother, and how he would really enjoy engaging in carnal relations with her? Equally obnoxious, but less politically charged I would wager.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by lio45

Twice as many words but I’d have gone with a simple-yet-elegant “Fuck you”.

Who says de-escalation is a lost art?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Trash talk obviously has it's limits. You obviously can't target ethnicity anymore. Linguistically based trash talk also has it's limits (although is it OK to trash your anglophone opponent en francais because he can't understand you??? Enquiring minds would like to know).

Would you prefer if that ignorant football player instead had remarked on the shapeliness of the Laval player's mother, and how he would really enjoy engaging in carnal relations with her? Equally obnoxious, but less politically charged I would wager.

I honestly don't know.

The only thing I do know is that the rules on what's acceptable or not should be applied consistently.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

(although is it OK to trash your anglophone opponent en francais because he can't understand you???

My kids' elementary school banned Arabic at recess because there we so many kids who spoke it and the teachers didn't know if profanity or slurs were being used.

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by Acajack

My kids' elementary school banned Arabic at recess because there we so many kids who spoke it and the teachers didn't know if profanity or slurs were being used.

There's a lot going on in this one.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

There's a lot going on in this one.

And it's only the beginning...