expressions-alsaciennes-plus-ridicules

Alsatian expressions are deemed the most ridiculous according to a study

undefined undefined 18 mars 2025 undefined 09h00

The Editor

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A study published in March 2025 looked into regional expressions and their usage. According to the opinions of the French surveyed about local expressions, a ranking of the different regions was established. And let's just say that the residents of the East are not going to be thrilled with the results!

You’ve probably experienced a weekend getaway in Alsace, Marseille, or even Lille and heard some curious expressions that were totally incomprehensible to you, yet are commonly used in those regions. In a study, Preply focused on regional languages and their usage across the country. With 75 different languages, France boasts an incredibly rich linguistic diversity.

Additionally, among the 1500 participants surveyed, 67% express their support for teaching regional languages in schools. The study also looked into the e

xpressions deemed the most ridiculous. Let’s be clear right away: we strongly disagree with the outcome!


Alsace Tops the Rankings

The Alsatians in our editorial team were quite taken aback by this ranking. 24.4% of those surveyed believe that the Alsatian expressions are the most ridiculous, mainly due to their sounds with « sch » popping up everywhere and their tricky pronunciation. But we think there’s nothing difficult about saying schmoutz (kiss), schlopps (slippers), schatz (treasure), schluck (gulp), or schlass (tired), but that’s just us!

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The Marseille expressions come in second place, and the Lyon expressions complete the podium. Thus, with 14.4% fada (crazy), dégun ```(person), kid (child), to mess around (to be a nuisance) and very (a lot), slightly ahead of dude (guy), dear (a lot), child, to brag (to show off) or to stare (to look) which are considered ridiculous by 12.6% of those surveyed. 

Six other regions included in the ranking 

12.5% of respondents think that Lille expressions (drizzle (rain), to bray (to cry), "biloute (man)) as silly, while 10.7% indicated the Nantes expressions (pochon (plastic bag), guené (soaked), seriner (to rain a little)). 

The Bordeaux expressions like gavé (a lot), chocolatine (pain au chocolat), or aller au maille (to go to work) come next with 8.5%, followed by the Nice expressions like bordille (garbage), cagade (foolishness), orFicanas (curious) at 7.7%. The Toulouse expressions like bouléguer (to hurry), rouméguer (to grumble), or cagne (laziness) and the Montpellier expressions such as péguer (to stick), cagnard (sun), or s’enfader (to get angry) come in at the end of the list with 5.4% and 3.7% respectively.

A response to the eternal debate Chocolate croissant/ Chocolatine/ Little bread?

The study also tried to find a reasote;response to the eternal debate between the terms Pain au chocolat, Chocolatine, and Petit pain. The first is used by 46.5% of respondents, the second by 23.5%, and the last by 30%. We don't know about you, but we're a bit schlass from this debate when the obvious answer is Petit pain... To each their own!