# What is This French Expression? Sounds Like "Zoot-allay!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153 "2012-01-02T16:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/21 "2012-01-03T20:22:21Z")
Mais oui? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/22 "2012-01-03T20:26:02Z")
My family is still in the area, as are several friends. I’m in Sherbrooke maybe one weekend every month or two, since 2006. Opening in 2007 does explain why I hadn’t heard of it before, though! I know my FIL has been a few times. In way-over-thinking my methods of profaning, I think I’m more likely to say _maudit crisse_ and _ostie tabarnac_ than _maudi tabarnac_, but the latter plays “in my uncle’s voice” in my head, so perhaps he’s prone to saying it. I’ve definitely heard it though. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/23 "2012-01-03T20:27:06Z")
> [@zut](#): > > Mais oui? …alors? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/24 "2012-01-05T04:41:41Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > A Québec-based brewery, Unibroue (originate here, but they’ve been bought by Sleemans, which was bought by Sapporo…) names most of it’s beers off of Québecois folk tales and plays a little on sacrilege; _La Maudite_, _L’eau bénite_ (“holy water”), _Don de Dieu_ (“gift of God”) are some of their beer names. > > P Espèce de merde, n’oubliez-pas _Trois Pistoles_ et _La Fin de Monde!😃_ Unibroue has some of the greatest beer label artwork ever! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/25 "2012-01-05T05:49:34Z")
Since I drank a _Fin du Monde_ just 2 days ago, I can hardly say I forgot about it! But it’s not as much of a religious/sacrilegious beer name, is all! 😉 And yes, the artwork from Unibroue is as good as it gets. Beautiful stuff. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/26 "2012-01-05T20:58:28Z")
How “cuss-y” is the exclamation “Sacre!”? David Suchet’s _Poirot_ is forever saying it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/27 "2012-01-05T21:32:44Z")
[Zut Alors!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=15355) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153/28 "2012-01-05T22:05:50Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > How “cuss-y” is the exclamation “Sacre!”? David Suchet’s _Poirot_ is forever saying it. It’s about on the level of “heck”… it’s pretty much saying “swear word!” instead of actually saying a swear word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-expression-sounds-like-zoot-allay/608153.md?page=1)