Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Un coup de cafard

Coup is one of those multipurpose words with many usages and just as many translations. A blow, as in un coup dur - a hard blow. A punch, as in un coup de poing - literally a blow of the fist. A gust, as in un coup de vent - a gust of wind. A kick, as in un coup de pied - of the foot.

A cafard is a cockroach.

A coup de cafard is - well, I don't really know exactly how to translate it. It's less severe than depression but more intense than a bad mood. Maybe like being down in the dumps.

Which is what I've been for the past few weeks. But I don't want to talk about that.

I want to talk about a literal coup de cafard.

It was wednesday a few weeks ago and my favorite café was closed. So I went to a different one. I sat down on a bench. Next to a cockroach. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it so I just got a tissue from my bag and grabbed the roach with it and got up to carry it to the garbage can. Which is when it jumped out of the tissue and into my bag. So, instead of being discreet about throwing a cockroach away, I had to be discreet about finding a cockroach in my bag - which, by the way, I call my Mary Poppins bag because of what it can and does contain.

I did finally find it and discreetly dispose of it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think I could have been as calm as you were! I do understand "a coup de cafard" - if I had the remedy I would share it, but I don't - however what is the French saying for things will get better! Perhaps another gingerbread house will help! HA!

Unknown said...

Wow, I would have been freaking out reminiscent of the infamous "Nantes Sock Incident"...hahaha. Miss you!

kingba said...

Fun story, I vote for you Nicole in 2012!!!

Nicole said...

Beth - gingerbread and buttercream icing would definitely help

Christina - MIss you too. And certainly miss moments that make me laugh like that one did.

Kingba - Finally, one vote.