OffQc | Québécois French Guide

I came across an ad in a Montréal métro station for a gym offering cardio, musculation and cours en groupe.

Part of the ad reads:

Soyez lousse dans vos jeans et dans votre budget!
Literally: Be “loose” in your jeans and in your budget!

Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version.

The idea is that if you become a member of this gym, both your jeans and your budget will finally fit.

But what about the word lousse?

Lousse derives from the English word “loose.” It’s a colloquial usage that you’ll sometimes hear in regular, everyday conversations.

In fact, maybe you’ve already heard the word lousse before in the colloquial expression se lâcher lousse (to have a great time, to let loose, s’éclater, etc.).

On s’est lâchés lousses à Québec!
We really let loose in Québec City! We had an amazing time! We went all out!