gland
What does gland mean? gland is a French moderate that translates to “idiot, dickhead” in English.
Literal Translation
acorn / glans (of the penis)
Meaning & Usage
"idiot, dickhead"
Literally 'acorn' and anatomically 'glans' (tip of the penis). As an insult, it means idiot or useless person — someone about as useful as the tip of a penis. The double meaning (innocent acorn vs. anatomical part) gives it a slyness that direct insults lack.
Examples in the Wild
'Quel gland, il a oublié le rendez-vous' — what an idiot, he forgot the appointment. 'T'es un sacré gland' — you're a real dumbass.
When to Use It
Context
- Casual conversations with friends
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
A mid-range insult that teenagers and young adults use frequently. It's cruder than 'andouille' but softer than 'connard.' The anatomical reference is understood but not foregrounded — people calling someone a 'gland' are thinking 'idiot,' not explicitly about anatomy. 'Glander' (to do nothing) comes from the same root.
More in French 🇫🇷
View all →garce
“bitch / slut”
Female dog; used as insult toward women.
se barrer
“to get out, to bolt, to take off”
Another crude way to say 'to leave,' slightly less aggressive than 'se casser.' 'Barre-toi' is 'get out of here.' 'Je me barre' is 'I'm leaving.' The word implies leaving quickly, sometimes covertly — sneaking out of a boring party or fleeing a bad situation.
con / conne
“stupid / idiot / asshole (fem: bitch)”
Originally vulgar slang for female genitalia (cunt), now primarily means 'stupid' or 'idiot' in France. The feminine 'conne' is more offensive than 'con'.
crade
“gross, filthy, nasty”
Slang contraction of 'crasseux' (filthy) that became its own word. It describes anything disgustingly dirty — a room, a person, a habit. Less intense than 'dégueulasse' but covers the same territory. The extended form 'cradingue' adds emphasis through its playful suffix.
raclure
“scum, lowlife, bottom-feeder”
What you scrape off the bottom of a pot — the residue, the dregs. Applied to a person, it means they're the lowest of the low, the scum of society. It's a creative insult that paints a vivid picture of worthlessness.
nique
“fuck”
The raw verb form of 'niquer,' used on its own as a crude exclamation or command. Unlike 'baiser,' which has a polite meaning (to kiss) that was slowly corrupted, 'niquer' has always been purely vulgar — borrowed from Arabic and arriving in French already loaded.
chier
“to shit / to annoy”
To defecate; also used in expressions meaning 'to annoy' or 'bore'.
dégueulasse
“disgusting, gross, nasty”
The go-to French word for expressing physical or moral disgust. It covers everything from a filthy bathroom to a politician's corruption scandal. Shortened to 'dégueu' in casual speech, which somehow sounds even more disgusted despite being shorter.