# Monsieur Puante

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 9, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090 "2015-10-09T22:42:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090/1 "2015-10-09T22:42:28Z")

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I have a close friend who is a smoker.

We call him “Mr Stinky” (because he smells).

He is quite happy with his moniker as he himself admits he reeks of tobacco. And as an aside he calls me something equally offensive - it’s that kind of relationship.

However, he’s French, and I’d like to honour that fact. If he can manage to call me names in my language, I should at least make the effort to muster an insult in his.

Google gives the above. But is this correct.

I’d rather go with a proper translation - rather than “Monsieur Stinky”.

French speakers please help.

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**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090/2 "2015-10-10T02:56:01Z")

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Puante is the feminine form of the adjective which naturally doesn’t work with a masculine noun, so the proper translation would be Mr. Puant (note absence of -e :)).

However, a more authentically Frenchy way to call him would be something like “Monsieur Pue-la-clope” (“clope” being a slang word for cigarettes)

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**Author:** ![Deflagration](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090/3 "2015-10-10T13:12:46Z")

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Thank You

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**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monsieur-puante/734090/4 "2015-10-10T14:47:14Z")

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Pepe lePew surely?