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Saying "Merde" to mean good luck?!


swanprincess

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I read somewhere (can't remember where) that 'merde' comes from a time when horse-drawn carriages waited to take people home from the theatre. Lots of it indicated a big audience and therefore good ticket sales! However, I don't know if this is the correct explanation.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello Ritaza and welcome to the forum.  That sounds quite logical.  I wonder what our "Word Lady" thinks of that.

 

I hope you will keep posting!

 

This is still a bit of a mystery. The horse droppings theory sounds like a folk etymology (i.e. dodgy) to me. The Tresor de la langue francaise, which is kind of like the OED, doesn't have that sense for "merde" (though it certainly exists). When I can dislodge this cat from my lap I will venture out to the library and see if I can find anything in the Grand Robert.

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