chier une pendule
What does “chier une pendule” mean in English?
Make a disproportionate fuss over something trivial. The literal translation, 'shit a clock,' adds a humorous twist to the expression.
Literally “shit a clock”
It's similar to saying 'stop making a big deal out of it' in English. Usually used in informal contexts, often to tell someone to calm down or stop overreacting.
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Related French words
chier dans son froc
3/5 · VulgarThis phrase means to be extremely frightened. It figuratively describes someone who is so scared that they might as well have shit themselves.
chier
3/5 · VulgarIt means to defecate, but it's commonly used to express annoyance or to describe someone as a nuisance. It's a versatile term that can be both literal and figurative.
faire un caca nerveux
2/5 · CoarseIt means to throw a tantrum or make a fuss, often in a childish way. The literal translation refers humorously to being so upset that you might lose control in the bathroom.
avoir le cul bordé de nouilles
3/5 · VulgarThis phrase means to be exceptionally lucky. The literal translation about having an arse edged with noodles is just for humor, not meant to be taken seriously.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.