con comme un balai
What does “con comme un balai” mean in English?
This means someone is very stupid. It's a comic way to insult someone's intelligence by comparing them to a broom.
Literally “stupid as a broom”
You might hear it used informally, similar to calling someone a 'dumbass' in English. It's an insult that carries a light-hearted tone but is still quite rude when aimed at someone.
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Related French words
con
3/5 · VulgarThis is an insult that roughly translates to idiot or arsehole. While it literally means 'vulva', that's not typically the intent when used as an insult today.
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.
avoir un balai dans le cul
3/5 · VulgarThis phrase means to be stiff, uptight, or overly formal. It suggests someone is rigid in their behavior or attitude.
chier une pendule
3/5 · VulgarMake a disproportionate fuss over something trivial. The literal translation, 'shit a clock,' adds a humorous twist to the expression.
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.