March 20, 2009
[Edible Idiom] Avoir la pêche
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Browse the list of idioms featured so far.
This week's idiom is, "Avoir la pêche."
Literally translated as, "having the peach," it means being in high spirits, having a lot of energy, feeling great physically and/or mentally -- in other words, feeling peachy! It is an informal expression that is only used in casual conversation, but is not vulgar.
Example: "Eh ben dis-donc, t'as la pêche, ce matin !" "Well, you certainly are in high spirits this morning!"
Listen to the idiom and example read aloud:
(If no player appears, here's a link to the audio file.)
This expression appeared in the sixties: it may have evolved from the word pêche (peach) as slang for the face or head, or, according to this source, from the fact that it is also slang for a punch: a boxer who "has the peach" would then be a boxer who packs a punch, and therefore has a good, winning energy.
The core of the expression is the peach, which gives way to variations such as:
- "Ça me donne la pêche" ("it gives me the peach"), when something causes one to feel great,
- "Je n'ai pas la pêche" ("I don't have the peach"), when one is feeling down,
- "Quelle pêche tu as !" or simply "Quelle pêche !" ("What peach you have!" or "What peach!") to comment on someone's elation,
- the adjective pêchu(e) (~peachy), a neologism that has yet to achieve dictionary status, and qualifies someone or something that has good energy, such as "une chanson pêchue", a catchy, happy song.
You may also encounter these related idioms: avoir la patate (having the potato), avoir la frite (having the French fry), avoir la banane (having the banana, probably because it evokes the shape of a big smile). But these are somewhat dated, and sound a little crude -- to my ear at least.
More Entries Like This One:
~ Ménager la chèvre et le chou
~ Retomber comme un soufflé
~ Avoir/Prendre de la bouteille
~ Ce n'est pas de la tarte
~ Mettre son grain de sel
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Comments (22)
Permalink | Posted by clotilde in French Idioms
SPRING ! Every body must be in high spirits ! Si ce n'est pas aujourd'hui, pour moi, ce serait jamais ! Joli printemps à toi, Clotilde, dommage que ce soit un peu tôt pour les pêches, j'en aurais bien croqué une ou deux, surtout les plates !
Posted by colibri on March 20, 2009 12:11 PMIt's funny how phrases can trigger memories!
This has to be one of my all time favourite French expressions, every time I use it it reminds me of a summer spent in Annecy where I first heard the expression. My friends and I would try and fit it into as many conversations as possible - strolling along the lakeshore in the brilliant sunshine always seemed to 'nous donner la pêche'!
Merci Clotilde!
Posted by Tamsin on March 20, 2009 12:28 PMGood stuff. I definitely will be using this one.
Posted by FN on March 20, 2009 1:45 PMI've often heard (and used) the phrase 'feeling peachy' to indicate someone who is having a particularly good day.
On the other hand, if said with just the right hint of sarcasm, it might suggest that someone really feels quite the opposite! (Or is that just me, lol?)
Posted by msue on March 20, 2009 2:37 PMI think this one is my new favorite. It's especially adorable paired with that shot.
Posted by Erin on March 20, 2009 3:01 PMlove it. avoir la peche. quelle peche. je n'ais pas la peche. all wonderful expressions. thank you clotilde! (although apparently i cannot type in french since i don't know how to find the essential punctuation on this computer). (je ne suis pas content).
Posted by gretchen on March 20, 2009 3:31 PMÇa ne se dit vraiment pas au Québec !
Posted by marjolaine on March 20, 2009 3:58 PMHaving a peach always makes ME feel better!
Posted by anna on March 20, 2009 4:30 PMHmm, I suppose there might be times when having the peach would really er, take the cake!!
Posted by Griffin on March 20, 2009 8:26 PMI am definitely working this into conversation today.
Posted by noble pig on March 20, 2009 9:22 PMMakes total sense to me. How can one be remotely pessimistic in regards to a pear?
I'd love to know what camera you use for these wonderful pictures and if the effect could be recreated with a digital camera. It would very much help me in my project where I paint food from life or photograph (photograph if they cannot keep the freshness as long as it takes me to paint).
Posted by Mariya K on March 20, 2009 9:59 PMAnother one to pack away...
Posted by The Duo Dishes on March 20, 2009 10:15 PMClotilde, is "eh ben" supposed to be "eh bien"? Otherwise I'm completely confused! Also, how would you translate "dis-donc"? I know what is means literally (more or less), but the expression escapes me... oh, and to comment on an earlier post, I love that "Happy Spring" translates to "Pretty Spring"!
Posted by Alix on March 20, 2009 10:22 PMWell, I'm feeling peachy keen on this sunny day in the Netherlands!
Posted by Melly on March 21, 2009 10:52 AMMerci, Clotilde.
Just discovered this 'edible idiom' series...very interesting.
'avoir la patate', 'avoir la frite', 'avoir la banane' - I thought these very funny and the last, well, highly suggestive!
Posted by Food Snob on March 21, 2009 6:47 PMThanks again, this one made me smile! Great series.
Posted by Reuben Morningchilde on March 23, 2009 9:25 AMMariya - The polaroid effect on the photo is obtained by the grace of an application called Poladroid.
Alix - You're absolutely right, "eh ben" is the spoken version of "eh bien." As for "dis-donc" (which means more or less "tell me"), it is an interjection that can express several things, depending on the tone: surprise, wonder, emphasis, irony, mockery, irritation... The final "c" can be pronounced frankly, or almost swallowed (as in the recording), or completely mute.
Posted by clotilde on March 23, 2009 2:10 PMI love it - a very fresh expression to use during this fresh spring season!
Posted by thekarenchronicles on March 24, 2009 3:05 AMJust as an aside, we have been introducing "I've got the potato" (J'ai la patate) into England, with varying success!
I've always thought that "being full of beans" is a pretty good translation.
Posted by jimbo_g on March 24, 2009 12:08 PMwhen you make reference to the peach. we say "that will put the red in the cheeks" suggesting a healthy glow from activity
Posted by Paul Wichert on April 1, 2009 9:34 PMClotilde, bless you for the posts you make to Edible Idiom. I have been addicted to languages my whole life and love this feature. I am a native speaker of that language spoken in the United States that claims to be English (hahahaha!) and am fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. But my French is not good because I have not lived for some time in France yet. That is only how I learn a language. When I travel in France, my French causes much merriment and laughter, and since I like to make people laugh, I am okay with that!
Posted by Lon on May 14, 2009 4:42 AMHi,
I'm french and I find this series very useful to understand the equivalents of our idioms :)
I just want to stress that, as a french, «avoir la banane» means more «smilling, grining from ear to ear» which may imply being happy, obviously but isn't exactly the same. Easy way to remember it : a banana has the same shape as a wide smile. (sort of)
Posted by Edfromfrance on September 20, 2009 3:05 PM