Slang French Words and Phrases for Dining and Drinking

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Last Updated: October 5, 2021

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It's party time! Whether you're out for a cozy dinner with your French friends or hitting the town for a night of drinking, merriment, and a little bit of mischief, how would you like to be the life of the party by knowing exactly the right words to say? Want to learn how to say drunk in French slang, or party in French slang?

Sounds awesome? You bet it is!

French Slang Dining and Drinking

So here you go with a list of words and phrases that you should arm yourself with to party in French slang. And no matter how wasted you get,  remember to always keep it classy!

En buvant et en mangeantDrinking and eating
À la tienne/À la vôtre!Cheers!
une andouillefool (sort of sausage)
un apéro (= apéritif)drink, aperitif
ardoise: avoir une ardoiseto have a tab (slate)
arroserto celebrate with a drink
becterto eat (to nosh)
la bouffemeal, something to eat
boufferto eat, to have a meal
Ça s’arrose!That deserves a drink!
C’est cadeau.It’s a treat.
le canondrink
cloche: se taper la clocheto have a good meal
couper (ne pas y couper)to cut (not to miss)
coûter (la peau des fesses*)to cost (an arm and a leg)
cracher (sur quelque chose)to say no to, to spit on
crever (de faim)to die (of hunger)
crocs: avoir les crocsbe famished
croute: casser la croutehave a meal, snack
la cuisinecooking
la cuisine du terroirregional cooking
le cuistot chef
dalle: avoir la dalleto be hungry
descente: avoir une bonne descente to knock it back
écluserto knock back (to sink) (your drink)
estomac: avoir l’estomac dans les talonsto be very hungry
les fruits de mer seafood
le gigotleg of lamb
graveserious(ly)
jaune: un p'tit jaunepastis
jeter: s'en jeter un*to down a drink
magner/se magnerto get a move on
la moussebeer
une occase (= occasion)occasion
la picoleboozing
le pinardcheap wine (plonk)
le pochtrondrunkard (piss artist)
poil: être de bon/mauvais poilto be in a good/bad mood
poil: n'avancer pas d’un poilto advance hardly at all
poil: reprendre du poil de la bêteto recover (from a hangover)
le poivrot drunkard
régalerto treat someone else
regarder: ne pas y regarderto be generous
remettreto have another
le resto (= restaurant)restaurant
rétamé, êtreto be hammered (legless)
se creuser les méningesto rack your brains
se défoncerto get wasted
se grouillerto get a move on
mettre en trainto get with the flow
payerto treat yourself
prendre (un apéro)to have a drink
se taperto treat yourself
le soûlarddrunkard
tassé: bien tasséa good measure
train: se mettre en trainto get in the flow
traite: boire d’une traite(to drink) in one swallow
trinquerto clínk glasses, to propose a toast to someone

Want to learn more French slang words and expressions? Check out the French Vocabulary Mastery Course below and add tons (20,000++) of French terms to your vocabulary!

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About the author 

Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Instagram

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