I'm too lazy to look it up, but I think that this word is used in the expression also to "shut up!" I think it's "Ta gueule!"

I've never had occasion to use that expression...

Your right!

ta bouche ! (fam) Shut up! Shut your trap!
ta bouche bébé ! (fam) Shut up! Shut your trap!
- http://french.about.com/library/express/blex-bouche.htm

I have a book full of expressions I'll never use, "The Real French You Were Never Taught in School!"

for "shut up" :
écrase* crush it!, imp. v. écraser, to crush, (cigarette) to put out
ferme-la*, shut-it!
ta gueule**, your maw! ("gueule" is literally an animal's mouth, but is used pejoratively for people's mouths or faces!)

The preface of the book says: "Asterisks after argot words indicate a dergree of rudeness above the ordinary colloquial. Two asterisks show a whopper, although you should not assume that strength and rudeness cause a word to be used less frequently; au contraire."

The way I learned it, the Québecois way of doing bad words was mostly religious sayings, not unlike, "Holy Mary Mother of God". I have no idea what it means, but I think you consider the context. I don't know if the continental French do that. The Quebecers and the European French have definite differences!

cinglé

1. adj. crazy
2. noun crazy person, "nut"

The term is the past participle of the verb cingler int., to sail (before the wind); to scud along; trans. to lash, whip;(metallurgy) to forge.

Gesture: To show that someone is crazy, put your index finger to your temple and turn your hand back and forth.

Hey ... this is good. Mind if I copy this for later use? I can think of a few occasions where it might be appropriate to use.

Help yourself to it!

blesser verbe transitif

to wound, to hurt, offend

"On blesse l'amour-propre ; on ne le tue pas." - Henry de Montherlant
"One wounds self-love; one does not kill it."

infinitif: blesser, to wound
participe présent: blessant, wounding
participe passé: blessé, wounded

Hi D. Allen,

I always appreciate and enjoy your posts on words.

I'd be very interested in what you can find sometime in research regarding the word "willful."

Regards,
"John3:17"

Isn't it interesting how the word "blesser" is opposite to "bless" in English? How did that happen???