glander
What does glander mean? glander is a French mild that translates to “to slack off, to do jack shit” in English.
Literal Translation
to acorn / to do nothing (from gland)
Meaning & Usage
"to slack off, to do jack shit"
To waste time, to do nothing productive — from 'gland' (acorn/penis tip). 'Il glande toute la journée' means he does nothing all day. It's the verb equivalent of the 'branleur' concept but less explicitly sexual. 'Glandeur' (slacker) is the derived noun.
Examples in the Wild
'Qu'est-ce que tu glandes?' — what are you doing? (implying: nothing). 'J'ai glandé devant Netflix' — I slacked off watching Netflix.
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
An essential piece of casual French vocabulary for describing laziness. It's mild enough for workplace use — you might say 'j'ai glandé tout le weekend' (I did nothing all weekend) without raising eyebrows. The connection to 'gland' is acknowledged with a wink but doesn't make the word feel obscene.
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“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.
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“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'.
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“whore / hooker”
Prostitute. 'Pute' is noun form, 'putain' is interjection or noun.
nom de Dieu
“for God's sake / goddamn”
Religious exclamation, mild blasphemy.
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.
merde
“shit / crap”
Standard exclamation for frustration, disappointment, or surprise. Literally excrement.