# « Hostie! Tabenac! Calisse!» «Sont pas des mauvais mots, maman - le prêtre les dit! » **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103 "2006-05-17T13:58:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/1 "2006-05-17T13:58:46Z")
I can just see the naughty little Montréal boys, saying all those swear words from the advertising campaign, then looking innocently at their mothers - “but the priest says them, Maman.” [Montreal churches campaign to put sacred meaning back into swear words](http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/news/shownews.jsp?content=n051437A) > [@](#): > > Montreal’s Catholic churches are trying to take back the tabernacle and the chalice, reminding Quebecers that the common French-language cuss words are still sacred objects to the church. > > The churches launched a cheeky publicity campaign on the weekend to teach the true meaning of words that roll so easily off the tongues of many francophones when they stub a toe or strike a thumb with a hammer. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/2 "2006-05-17T14:16:34Z")
> [@the Macleans article](#): > > “It’s strange, isn’t it?” Boyer said. “These are words that shouldn’t be shocking to anyone, and somehow today they are.” Exactly how I feel about sex-related swear words. As a pagan, it asnnoys me no end that ‘to fuck’ can be a threat. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/3 "2006-05-17T14:31:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Exactly how I feel about sex-related swear words. As a pagan, it asnnoys me no end that ‘to fuck’ can be a threat. [/QUOTE] Well, when Hillary Clinton says it, see if YOU don’t run. 😉 I read the title of this thread in a singsong. Hostie! Tabenac! Hassenpfeffer incorporated! _musical bit_ “We’re gonna do it.. give us any chance we’ll take it, read us any rule we’ll break it.. we’re gonna make our dreams come true…” ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/4 "2006-05-17T14:45:13Z")
My message to the Church in Quebec: good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/5 "2006-05-17T15:26:05Z")
“Hostie” is a swear word in Quebec? Next the bishop will complain about “Mod”. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/6 "2006-05-17T16:07:27Z")
I was babysitting a cute little 3 year old the other day. She put a CD on which had a song (by OutKast) with lyrics that included something about “She thinks her shit don’t stank . . . but roses always smell like poopoopoo” The 3 year old is dancing around singing the “poo poo poo” line. I had to laugh a little. She’s potty training, which means that whether or not she’s gone poopoo (or peepee) in the potty is always being discussed, and this song just reinforces the idea that this is a normal topic of conversation. Or maybe not. A coupld of weeks ago, I was babysitting her and we listened to some Billy Joel. She pointed out when the sound effects were “James” and “Harold”–a train engine and a helicopter from the land of Thomas The Tank Engine. I think the song with the helicopter had something to do with Vietnam–a concept I don’t relate to the same way that I think the original audience was expected to, and I’m a grown up. She’s three, cute as a button, but there is something charming in the innocence of a three year old. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/7 "2006-05-17T23:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Next the bishop will complain about “Mod”. [/QUOTE] Mod? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/8 "2006-05-18T02:30:23Z")
I love driving through Ancaster. Provides us with the opportunity to say things like “Un mariage! Calvère Tabarnak!” or “Joe est mort, calvère tabarnak!” (One of the churches in town is named the Calvary Tabernacle, and they have a sign out front telling us what event is going on) I swear more in French than I do in English, even though I pretty much “live” in English. The vast range of vocabulary is just so much better! I’ll have to make more efforts to swear quietly when I move back to Québec…here, most people don’t know what I’m saying! Somewhat related, I have a Chinese co-worker who studied in Germany, so when things go wrong, you can hear him muttering “scheisse!” ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/9 "2006-05-18T03:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=CandidGamera] I read the title of this thread in a singsong. Hostie! Tabenac! Hassenpfeffer incorporated! _musical bit_ “We’re gonna do it.. give us any chance we’ll take it, read us any rule we’ll break it.. we’re gonna make our dreams come true…” [/QUOTE] Glad I’m not the only one… However, my first reaction, upon checking the new posts was quite a startled one: “_Mon Dieu_! Who is cursing!?” You see, I’m acadienne. Usually we speak both french _and_ english within the same sentence, whichever is closest to the tip of our tongues. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/10 "2006-05-18T03:11:02Z")
I still remember my OAC French class when our teacher gave us a list of French profanities at the end of the year as a graduation present. There were a boatload of words on there. Most of them being derivations of Tabernac, including my favourite ‘Kakernak’. I still use that when I’m upset about something. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hostie-tabenac-calisse-sont-pas-des-mauvais-mots-maman-le-pretre-les-dit/357103/11 "2006-05-18T03:14:13Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Next the bishop will complain about “Mod”. [/QUOTE] Not the bishops too! Don’t we get enough grief already?