Good words Angela! I also like ‘ce n’est pas terrible’.
I found an explanation… but it’s still down to oneself to work out what it really means, depending on the intonation and the context.
The French expression ce n’est pasterrible is a weird one, because the word terrible is a semi- faux ami par excellence, as it can mean either “terrible” or “terrific.” Yes, it’s true—if someone says c’est terrible ! they might mean “it’s great!” or they might mean “it’s awful!”
It’s the one I encounter most often. Generally so far, people saying “C’est terrible” have meant “It’s dreadful” but "“C’est pas terrible” meaning “It isn’t great”.
Fortunately, in the case of my first two words, the facial expressions that went with the word were very clear
That certainly matches with what seemed to be meant at the time. I was saying about having had a problem with someone and the response came back that “Elle est spécial”. What you say about death also makes sense.
I love ‘special’ I mean how good is that to describe someone wonky!!!
My OH has always had a problem between ‘poele’ and ‘poilu’ even after years he still trips up over that. Gives lots of people a laugh when he’s talking to them though
My wife and I discovered the significance of « spéciale » last year when a French friend described to her husband that what my wife had given her to eat was “special”.
It’s now a running joke.
The first time someone mentioned my “corpulence” I was rather taken aback, and slightly offended. But they were actually more meaning my build, since I am about a foot taller than most round here.
It can mean carrying excess weight, especially forte corpulence, but doesn’t have to.
When I was an undergraduate in the UK, if someone messed up their final exams and didn’t even get a third, but didn’t utterly fail, I think they got an ordinary degree and that was known as a special.
Spécial applied to people really isn’t flattering as it’s often shorthand for weirdo but it also just means unpredictable or difficult to deal with.
Brutal is sudden and unexpected - you don’t want a driver to freine brutalement, for instance.
Prévarication is eg embezzlement and generally not doing what is incumbent upon you according to your duty and the latter is I suppose where it coincides more with English, but it’s never used lightheartedly as in English.
We often say " intéressant" , spécial is almost unpleasant
Your corpulence can be mince which seems very counterintuitive to anglophones
I hope it is useful or at least interesting, I am acutely conscious that I may be boring you all to death and probably teaching my granny to suck eggs.
there were quite a few French words used to describe Andouillette recently… ranging from delicious to disgusting… and, yes, “spéciale” did enter the fray, although in that context I took spéciale to mean "well, it’s an acquired tast "
Your input is essential @vero ! We can look things up in dictionaries or work things out from experiences but the nuances are difficult to get hold of. Thank you so much for that
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… dégueulasse 