sacré bleu
- idiom
- /sæˈkreɪ blü/
- Informal
:
¡santo cielo!
- Every time he tasted something delicious, he would cheerfully say, sacré bleu!
Examples
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When she heard the news, she gasped, sacré bleu! How could that happen?
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Sacré bleu!
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Sacré bleu!
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Sacré bleu! I never expected to see you here after all these years!
Synonyms
4
9.5
A short word people say when they are surprised or shocked
A short cry of surprise used to sound French
A strong old word people say to show surprise or shock
A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance
A short phrase people say to show surprise at something amazing
A short Russian word said when someone feels annoyed, frustrated, or surprised
How Surprised
Surface Forms
Morphology
sacré + bleu
The phrase is a French interjection whose literal parts ('sacré' + 'bleu' — effectively 'sacred blue') do not convey the sense of surprise or shock in a compositional way. The construction is idiomatic, historically a minced oath, and even a learner who knew the literal meanings of the constituents would not reliably infer the exclamation meaning, so it is unpredictable for B1 learners.
Etymology
The exclamation sacré bleu may come from old French speakers who wanted to avoid saying God's name. They used sacré ('sacred') plus bleu ('blue') instead of the word 'Dieu' ('God'), so the phrase became a mild way to show 'surprise', and today English speakers use it to copy a French-sounding exclamation or to be humorous.