Word of the Week “Karcheriser” (French)

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Word of the Week “Karcheriser” (French)

It may or may not be a useful word in French, but today we would like to introduce to you the word “Karcheriser”.

The first use of the word probably came from the association with the German pressure cleaning product or power cleaner Kärcher, and from there it entered the French cultural lexicon.

The most likely translation is to pressure clean something, do the Gerni-ing (another pressure cleaning product). But the word took on a new twist, during the French riots when the French President, Nioclas Sarkozy, used the word to take on the meaning of something like using water canons, similar to the pressure of fire hydrants, to clean up unwanted offenders.

From there the word has taken on a larger cultural status and meaning, as a way of getting rid of an unwanted offender/s, by using a Kärcher.

The video of “Karcherisons Steevy to let’s karcherise or water canon Steevy” is a funny example of the use or the word, for the same sort of purpose. The person talked about in video Steevy, is a tv panel host from a popular French comedy/talk show “On a tout essayer- We’ve tried everything”. Steevy the man is question is targeted because of his vitriolic attacks on everyday ways of life. Therefore the “Anti Steevy Front” has decided to make a Steevy denunciation in the video, and the method sought after to get rid of him is to “karcherise him”.

Karcheriser Steevy

Ways to use “karcheriser” to get a laugh: Ces Surveiller de baignade m’ennervents beaucoup. Ils se pensent comme Dieu. J’ai vraiment l’envie des karcheriser. Those life savers annoy me a lot. They think they’re Gods. I really feel like karcherising them. (and you’re probably likely to think this after one day on the beach in France).

Il y a une plague des surfeurs italiens dans notre ville, qui n’aiment pas bonnes de partager les vagues. If faut les karcheriser! There is a plague of italian surfers in our town, who don’t like sharing waves. We have to karcherise them”

I wonder what other practical ways there are to use the word “karcheriser”