
From Gone with the Wind, after being dubbed into Québécois by a shit-disturber then subtitled back into English very literally for who knows what reason.
As graceful as it sounds, it’s probably best not to translate je m’en câlisse as “I chalice myself of it.”
No, it’s better translated as “I don’t give a fuck.”
That’s right — when you don’t give a flying fuck about something, you sacred-vessel yourself of that blasted thing.
That’s because the québécois swear verb câlisser derives from the religious calice, which is the chalice for Catholics.
To help you engrain the expression je m’en câlisse into your head forever, here are 10 examples from around the web.
1. In auto mechanics
Ce char-là, il est tough en maudit. Le jour où il va lâcher, il lâchera. Je m’en câlisse! C’est le dernier de mes soucis. Pour l’instant il roule. That car is tough as hell. The day it breaks down, it breaks down. I don’t give a fuck! That’s the last of my worries. For now, it still runs. Julie Robidoux, Ligne de vie
2. In business
Je m’en câlisse des clients, continua-t-il en élevant le ton, emporté par une colère incontrôlable. “I don’t give a fuck about the customers,” he continued, in a louder voice, overcome with uncontrollable anger. Yves Beauchemin, Le Matou
3. In weight-loss
Je m’en câlisse des excuses! I don’t give a fuck about the excuses! Fuck off with the excuses already! Club Athlétique Mansfield, via OffQc #611
4. In national pride
Je vais utiliser des gants blancs, mais tant qu’à moi, la Fête nationale, je m’en câlisse. I’ll try to be gentle when I say this, but I personally don’t give a fuck about the National Holiday (of Québec). Joël Martel, Mauvaise herbe, J’haïs la Saint-Jean
5. In royal matters
Ça m’épate à quel point je m’en colisse de la visite du prince Charles! It amazes me just how much I don’t give a fuck about Prince Charles’s visit! @jf_lalonde, Twitter (colisser is a variation of câlisser)
6. In psychology
J’ai une grand-mère de mon côté paternel qui s’en câlisse pas mal de moi et je m’en câlisse d’elle. I have a grandmother on my father’s side who really doesn’t give a fuck about me and I don’t give a fuck about her. el_picador, depotoir.ca (pas mal = pretty much)
7. In fashion
Je m’en câlisse que tu mettes des bas dans tes sandales, si t’es bien comme ça! I don’t give a fuck if you wear socks with your sandals, if you’re comfortable like that! Le point de non retour, Pour en finir avec les fashionistas
8. In immigration
Passé 50 ou 60 ans je m’en câlisse si un nouvel arrivant veut pas parler français. After age 50 or 60, I really don’t give a fuck if a newcomer doesn’t want to speak French. Grognor, reddit
9. In relationships
[Le badboy] prend de la place et a en quasi permanence une attitude du genre « je m’en câlisse, si tu n’es pas contente, décrisse ». Badboys (in relationships) are overbearing and almost always have that “I don’t give a fuck, fuck off if you’re not happy” attitude. Ol’ Dirty Jo, Sextons-Nous, Ce que femme veut selon ODJ
10. In politics
Elle a coupé la parole à quelqu’un en criant « je m’en câlisse de ton mouvement de marde ». She cut someone off by screaming, “I don’t give a fuck about your shitty movement.” Occupons Montréal
On s’en câlisse!
Now that you know je m’en câlisse, you also know on s’en câlisse, tu t’en câlisses, il s’en câlisse, etc. During the student protests in 2012, the protesters chanted la loi spéciale, on s’en câlisse!
For a few more examples, see my http://oreilletendue.com/2011/11/09/restons-religieux/
What about the song by Lisa LeBlanc “Câlisse-moi là”? Never really got that one. 🙂
The chorus goes like this:
Câlisse-moi là
Vas-y jusqu’au boute
Finis-moi ça
Pis câlisse-moi là
J’te bette que t’es pas game
Trop peureux d’voir que
J’aimerais peut-être ça
Is this translated as, “I’m fucked”? 🙂
Nice example from an Acadian artist, great song.
Câlisser can be used in the sense of “to throw,” but it’s a vulgar usage, so it’s more like “to fucking throw.” For example: câlisser quelque chose aux vidanges, “to fucking throw something in the garbage.” It’s similar to how crisser was used in a recent example that I posted: tu me crisses ça dans un sac à vidanges!, from entry #631.
Another example in the sense of “to throw” is câlisser dehors, for example: on m’a câlissé dehors, “they fucking threw me out” or “they threw me the fuck out.”
To answer your question, we could say “fucking dump me” in English. What she’s saying is for the guy to fucking dump her and to finish it, but she doesn’t think he’s got the guts for it.
Yes, the song is good even if I didn’t understand all of it. 🙂
And thanks so much for the amazing reply! I can’t imagine anywhere else where you can get such useful information, and believe me, I’ve looked. Thanks so much for all the work you put into this blog.
Heh. I like that you included a link from reddit.
I spend a lot of time on r/Quebec, and I’ve linked to your blog on there many times for learners of French
Thanks, Eva!