B like...bambane
A bambane is a slow man, a big lazy. A word not heard much anymore but still an integral part of the language of true Lyonnais.
B like...belin(e)
A wonderful sweet word of love to describe your loved one.
B like...bugne
Yummy alert: this is a delicious small doughnut cut with a pastry wheel from a sweet dough to savor crispy or soft.
C like...cher
One of the most famous Lyonnais words. If Bordeaux has its "gavé" and Marseille its "tarpin", Lyon has its "cher" to replace the word "a lot". "There were cher many people. It was cher good."
C like...red carrot
We're not sure if the substitution expression was invented because the Lyonnais didn't like beets very much, but that's what many call it. Simple and effective! Yes. Well. The Lyonnais haven't always been the sharpest tools, we admit.
C like...chougner
To cry for no reason. No.Three favorite things. "Stop sulking Penelope."
D as... débarouler
When he enters somewhere with a crash or at full speed, the Lyonnais débaroule!
F as... fenotte
Fenotte is the cute term for a woman or a fiancée.
F as... (to be) a fan
When you're a fan, you're dis.
Enjoy your life to the fullest! G as... gone In Lyon, a local child or young kid is called a "gone". So if someone tells you to be careful because you're acting like a "gone", it means you might get in trouble. The fans of OL (Olympique Lyonnais) are also known as the BadGones. Living that thug life. G as... ganais A "ganais" is basically an idiot. It's got nothing to do with people from Ghana, so no need to worry. G as... grattons Here we go, another delicious but calorie-packed treat - pork fat rissol. So yummy, but so indulgent. You've gotta try it to truly appreciate it. J like... jacter Meaning to talk behind someone's back. Not cool, guys, not cool at all. L like... lathe Imagine saying, "I'm so lathe, I just farted in the middle of class!" Lathe is another way of saying shame. And yeah, we'd be feeling it too if we were in your shoes... M like... mâchon The Lyonnaise version of brunch, except it's nothing like the usual brunch you'd expect. At 7am, we're having Lyonnais specialties and some Beaujolais instead of scrambled eggs and pancakes. Infinitely sexier! P like... pelo The Lyonnaise version of a guy, equivalent to a "bro". It's probably one of the most common local expressions in France. "That guy over there, he's my pelo. Yeah, man."
In Lyon, we tend to forget the formalities of the French language. So the classy "what time is it?" is replaced by a very direct "what time is it?". And that's it!
R like...(to) show off
To show off is to boast, to show off. "Dude, stop showing off, you're as thick as a handbrake cable".
R like...(to be) stoked
To be stoked is to be happy, to be well. Come on, let's go!!!
T like...tchalé
To be tchalé by someone is to be really into that person. For example: "I'm so into this girl, she drives me crazy!"
T like...traboule
Traboules are the name given to the 508 passages that allow the people of Lyon to go from one street to another by crossing a building.
T like...trepanned
A trepanned is a fool, an idiot.
V like...vogue
The vogue is the funfair of the city. And the most famous one is the Vogue des Marrons that sets up each autumn in Croix-Rousse.
Y like...y (everywhere, all the time)Lyonnais really use "y" everywhere! "Show it to me", "I know it well" or even "I'm going to do it there".
