I was browsing through newborn clothes in Monoprix when my newest nephew was born for something with French writing that couldn't be found in the U.S. I ultimately passed everything by because it said something like petite chou, and when I quickly Googled chou on my phone it said it meant cabbage, which confused me. I was pretty sure it would also confuse my sister-in-law if she Googled it, so I refrained from buying anything that day.
But when you're learning a language you should always ask someone who knows more than you, and when I finally did I learned that though chou is indeed the word for cabbage, it also means something like, "cutie" or "sweetie" or even the English, "poppet." I went shopping for Christmas with my newfound knowledge and now understood that this outfit proclaimed my newest nephew so cute and not so cabbage.
The French are not alone in using vegetables as terms of endearment. Much to her confusion, I've called Ella "little pun'kin" her entire life. Sometimes this was shortened to "little punk," which doesn't seem as sweet. Cue the pre-teen side-eye.
And now a few family pictures for good measure.
Trop chou indeed. If you've ever tried to learn a new language, what's been your favorite phrase or expression that doesn't quite translate literally?
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