French word of the day: Cadeau empoisonné
Why do I need to know cadeau empoisonné ?
Because this expression will help you illustrate your evil side.
What does it mean ?
The expression is composed of
cadeau
, which means 'gift', and
empoisonné
, meaning 'poisoned'.
So a
cadeau empoisonné
is literally a poisoned gift. Obviously, it is not exactly nice.
It is a figurative way of saying that you are getting rid of something annoying, boring or difficult by passing it on somebody else - the English would be to hand someone a poisoned chalice.
Advertisement
But here is the subtlety of
cadeau empoisonné -
you present the situation as if you were doing a favour to the person, to hide your real intentions. The person to whom you've given the
cadeau empoisonné
will first be thankful for the responsibility you've entrusted them with, until they realise why you did that. But it will be too late.
For example, when French Health minister Agnès Buzyn left her post at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis (because she has to take over from a
Paris mayoral candidate with a certain online video
) her replacement Olivier Véran received a big promotion - and an enormous challenge to deal with. He got a real
cadeau empoisonné
.
Through history and mythology there are numerous examples of 'poisoned gifts' - from the Trojan horse to Snow White's apple - but the most famous French story of this is almost certainly untrue.
The legend goes that the Medieval French queen Catherine de Medici gave her daughter's future mother-in-law Jeanne Albret, the Huguenot Queen of Navarre, a gift of perfumed leather gloves which were laced with poison, killing the protestant queen.
In fact, Jeanne had tuberculosis, which is almost certainly what killed her, and the poisoned glove story was part of a smear campaign against Catherine, who was nicknamed
la reine serpent
(the serpent queen) by her political enemies.
Use it like this
Confier toute l'organisation au stagiaire la veille de la réunion était un cadeau empoisonné -
Putting all of the organisation in the intern's hands the day before the meeting was a poisoned chalice.
J'ai hérité de la maison de ma tante mais il faut faire beaucoup de travaux, c'est un vrai cadeau empoisonné -
I inherited of my aunt's house but there is a lot of construction work to do, it's more of a curse than a blessing.
Synonyms
Refiler la patate chaude à quelqu'un -
To pass the hot potato on to someone
Refiler le bébé
à quelqu'un
- to pass the buck to someone
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
15 hours ago
- Local France
French word of the day: Cadeau empoisonné
Why do I need to know cadeau empoisonné ? Because this expression will help you illustrate your evil side. What does it mean ? The expression is composed of cadeau , which means 'gift', and empoisonné , meaning 'poisoned'. So a cadeau empoisonné is literally a poisoned gift. Obviously, it is not exactly nice. It is a figurative way of saying that you are getting rid of something annoying, boring or difficult by passing it on somebody else - the English would be to hand someone a poisoned chalice. Advertisement But here is the subtlety of cadeau empoisonné - you present the situation as if you were doing a favour to the person, to hide your real intentions. The person to whom you've given the cadeau empoisonné will first be thankful for the responsibility you've entrusted them with, until they realise why you did that. But it will be too late. For example, when French Health minister Agnès Buzyn left her post at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis (because she has to take over from a Paris mayoral candidate with a certain online video ) her replacement Olivier Véran received a big promotion - and an enormous challenge to deal with. He got a real cadeau empoisonné . Through history and mythology there are numerous examples of 'poisoned gifts' - from the Trojan horse to Snow White's apple - but the most famous French story of this is almost certainly untrue. The legend goes that the Medieval French queen Catherine de Medici gave her daughter's future mother-in-law Jeanne Albret, the Huguenot Queen of Navarre, a gift of perfumed leather gloves which were laced with poison, killing the protestant queen. In fact, Jeanne had tuberculosis, which is almost certainly what killed her, and the poisoned glove story was part of a smear campaign against Catherine, who was nicknamed la reine serpent (the serpent queen) by her political enemies. Use it like this Confier toute l'organisation au stagiaire la veille de la réunion était un cadeau empoisonné - Putting all of the organisation in the intern's hands the day before the meeting was a poisoned chalice. J'ai hérité de la maison de ma tante mais il faut faire beaucoup de travaux, c'est un vrai cadeau empoisonné - I inherited of my aunt's house but there is a lot of construction work to do, it's more of a curse than a blessing. Synonyms Refiler la patate chaude à quelqu'un - To pass the hot potato on to someone Refiler le bébé à quelqu'un - to pass the buck to someone
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Sir David Beckham: Global icon achieves ultimate goal
He had long dreamed of becoming a sir and King Charles III made it a reality when he announced his birthday's honours list on Friday, marking the end of a decades-long journey travelled with his Spice Girl wife Victoria, creator of the eponymous fashion brand. The honour, one of the highest bestowed by the UK state, "is a powerful symbolic marker", Marie Agnes Parmentier, professor of marketing at the University of Montreal and author of several papers on "Posh and Becks", explained to AFP. It "reinforces his image as a respectable, committed, and, first and foremost, British man," she added. The knighthood could present new opportunities for the 50-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, "particularly in diplomatic, charitable or political spheres", said Parmentier. The former free-kick ace, from a modest East London background, diversified his career after retiring from football in 2013, but success was the result of planning long before he hung up his boots. "I knew my career was going to end at some point and I wanted to have a career after football," he said in the documentary series "Beckham", which aired on Netflix in 2023. Pioneer At the height of his football career, Beckham was signing deals with top clothing and beauty brands, building an audience that cut across gender, age and nationality -- becoming the first England player to crack the US market. The successful brand was built on his always immaculate appearance and nearly-always exemplary off-field behaviour, coupled with an unwavering drive to become a pioneer. This required a certain amount of courage, given that English football in the 1990s was generally the preserve of no-nonsense lads more interested in the pub than the catwalk. His appearance in a sarong during the 1998 World Cup, revelations that he used make-up, and his eccentric hairstyles were all feverishly gobbled up by the UK's tabloid press. Beckham is still capitalising on the fascination, almost 30 years later. He unveiled his first collection for Hugo Boss in April, is the founder of the Inter Miami football club and the "Studio 99" production company, and has been a UNICEF ambassador for 20 years. He is now best known not for football, "but for being Beckham, the brand", said sociologist Ellis Cashmore. It is a brand worth £500 million ($676 million), according to The Times newspaper's 2025 ranking. From Outcast to Hero The Netflix show exposed the couple to an emerging younger audience, cementing their fame for the foreseeable future. Beckham "embodies a celebrity at the intersection of sport, fashion, entertainment and business," explained Parmentier. The couple's enduring visibility "is based on a sophisticated media strategy and an ability to embody universal values such as work, family and style," she added. But it has been a long and bumpy road, Cashmore pointed out. In 1998, Beckham was called the most hated man in England after he petulantly kicked out at Argentina's Diego Simeone during their World Cup round of 16 game. Beckham was harshly sent off and England lost to their bitter rivals in a penalty shoot-out. Those who had bitten their tongue about his off-field flamboyance gave full vent to their feelings. National headlines the next day included "10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy" (Daily Mirror) and "You're Just A Joke Becks" (Daily Mail). Months of "hell" followed, with death threats, spitting and boos accompanying Beckham wherever he went. "Wherever I went I got abused, every single day," he said. "I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme. The whole country hated me." But the ordeal only sharpened Beckham's focus. A year later, he finished second in the Ballon d'Or as he helped Manchester United claim an unprecedented treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. It was often said that Beckham's career seemed to be scripted by a movie writer, never more so than when the fallen idol took his revenge by scoring the winning goal against perennial rivals Argentina in the 2002 World Cup, redeeming his national hero status. The royal family were quick to embrace him, inviting Beckham to the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Previous rumours of an impending knighthood came to nothing, but his star once again rose in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. While other celebrities came under fire for skipping the queue to view her coffin, Beckham lined up with members of the public for almost 12 hours to pay his respects.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
How AI is reinventing misogyny
As artificial intelligence continues to transform societies worldwide, The 51 Percent asks what does its rapid development mean for women and girls. A surge of AI-powered systems has misogyny baked into their very core, placing women and girls at risk worldwide. We report on how men can now create perfect AI girlfriends. Also how a video, created by AI, was posted to TikTok by the French government to celebrate the 80th anniversary of French women getting the vote in 1945. However, there's been uproar as the images are mainly of men without even an actual shot of a woman casting her ballot. Plus Annette Young talks to UK feminist author, Laura Bates, about a highly disturbing visit to a Berlin cyber brothel.
