Québécois expressions with Marie-Josée Duquette

On March 21 Marie-Joseé Duquette, of the Quebec Delegation to Boston, shared her thoughts about her native Quebec, her love for its culture, and not least, some of its distinctive expressions. Here are a few of her slides.

 

Literally, “to tie your hat with the straps so that it’s well fixed on the head so the wind won’t blow it off”
Sense of: “Prepare well for what lies ahead”
Literally, “To hammer the nails”
Sense of: “to try to to stay awake despite great fatigue, which is pounding your head like a hammer driving nails”; “to resist sleep even as you’re weakening”
Literally, “it’s raining so hard, you can drink it standing up if you tilt your head back”
Literally, “don’t mess around with the puck”
Sense of “Don’t waste time” or “Don’t beat around the bush”
Literally, “to calm down”
Senes of “keep your cool,” “keep your feet on the ground”
Literally, “pull up a log”
Sense of “join us here sitting around this table”
Literally, “Pull the cover from its edge”
Sense of “to grab as much as you can from a situation at the expense of others,” “to take more than your fair share”