# Did the French ever actually say "Oo la la"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025 "2003-07-08T16:33:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/21 "2003-07-08T23:29:04Z")
_Nom d’une groupe de pop!_ This Englishman, of course, would say “Criminy!” or “Yikes!”, or, anglo-saxon words to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/22 "2003-07-09T00:08:30Z")
Is “Sacre Bleu!” an archaic expression? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/23 "2003-07-09T07:40:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lemur866 \* > \*\*Is “Sacre Bleu!” an archaic expression? \*\* According to the huge French-English dictionary on my desk, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/24 "2003-07-09T07:51:03Z")
We Americans are much more refined in our vowel sounds. Hubba! Hubba! And Twenty-three skidoo! I’m sorry to hear that “scare bleu” is archaic. It was the only thing I had planned to use to substitute for profanit on my trip to Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/25 "2003-07-09T07:59:06Z")
My wife is Italian / French and a native speaker of both languages. I hear “ooh-la-la” quite often… it’s an all-purpose expression that, like most expressions can have good or bad conotations. e.g. If someone says something bad/nasty happened to someone (nothing too terrible), you could respond with “ooh-la-la”. In a good sense, it might be used when presented with a really nice gift / plate of food etc… “Sacre Bleu” is definately archaic and throughout all my time in France I have never heard anybody say it, even jokingly. Hope that helps… ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/26 "2003-07-09T08:00:37Z")
\*\* Zoe \*\* - don’t worry too much. You can still use “putain fait ché!” - it’s not a substitute, but at least you will be profain in their langauge… ---
**Author:** ![Zorro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ad7895/32.png) [@Zorro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zorro)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/27 "2003-07-09T10:19:05Z")
Although for extra authenticity and to guarantee proper credibility as a French speaker, you should consider upgrading that to _“Putain, merde, fait chier! Saloperie de bordel de merde!”_. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/28 "2003-07-09T10:23:20Z")
**Zorro** - spent a little time buying drugs in Paris have we eh ? ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/29 "2003-07-09T11:27:19Z")
Yes…as witnissed in the Matrix… “I have sampled every language, french is my favorite. Fantastic language, especially to curse with. Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d’enculé de ta mère.” — The Merovingian, in the Matrix Reloaded “Putain de bordel de merde” and “putain fait ché” are used almost daily (depends on how bad your day is going though!) ---
**Author:** ![Zorro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ad7895/32.png) [@Zorro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zorro)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025/30 "2003-07-09T12:19:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tarantula \* > \*\ ***Zorro** - spent a little time buying drugs in Paris have we eh ? \*\* Not really. Just a lifetime of bilingual swearing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-french-ever-actually-say-oo-la-la/187025.md?page=1)