French word of the day: Bancal
Because you may hear one politician use it in reference to the arguments of a rival.
What does it mean?
Bancal
(or
bancale
) – pronounced bonk-al – is an old Provençal adjective that has drifted into relatively common usage.
It was originally used to describe the limping, uneven gait of someone who is lame, while it
could also be used to describe, for example, a table with a rickety leg.
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Over time, its definition has extended to take in unsound or flawed reasoning. Think of the English phrase 'shaky ground' or 'shaky logic' and you have the general idea.
Use it like this
L'ambition sans imagination est toujours bancale
– Ambition without imagination is always shaky
Parfois, on ne peut pas défendre des phrases certes bancales
– Sometimes, it is impossible to defend statements that are clearly flawed.
Je déteste les situations bancales
– I hate awkward situations
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