tête de nœud
What does “tête de nœud” mean in English?
This is a vulgar insult similar to calling someone a 'dickhead.' It literally translates to 'knot head,' but it's not about anatomy.
Literally “knot head”
Typically directed at someone to insult their intelligence or behavior, it's a bit stronger than just calling someone an idiot. Commonly used in casual or confrontational contexts in French-speaking regions.
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Related French words
connard
4/5 · StrongIt's a vulgar insult aimed at an obnoxious man or person. It carries a sharper sting than just calling someone a 'jerk.'
trou du cul
4/5 · StrongIt's a vulgar insult for someone being an arsehole. Literally, it translates to 'anus.'
abruti
3/5 · VulgarIt's an insult for someone considered to be a complete fool. Literally, it refers to a 'stupefied person.'
branleur
3/5 · VulgarIt's an insult for someone perceived as lazy or contemptible. Literally, it means 'a person who masturbates.'
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 4troDev/profanity.csv, Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.