pousse-café

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English

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Etymology

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From French pousse-café (literally coffee-pusher).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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pousse-café (plural pousse-cafés)

  1. A digestif consumed after the coffee course.
    Synonym: chasse-café
    • 1898, George du Maurier, The Martian[1]:
      Mlle. Solange was horrified; but Barty insisted on waiting on the old gentleman in person, and helped him to his coffee and pousse‑café with all the humorous grace I can so well imagine, and handed him the Indépendance Belge, and went back to superintend the arrangements for the coming play.
  2. A drink composed of several layers of different-coloured liqueurs.
    • 1998 August 17, Adam Gopnik, “Man Goes To See a Doctor”, in The New Yorker[2]:
      When I go back to New York, some of my friends seem to be layered with drugs, from the top down, like a pousse-café: Rogaine on top, then Prozac, then Xanax, then Viagra. . . .

Translations

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French

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Etymology

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Literally, coffee-pusher, from pousse (push, 2nd person singular imperative of pousser) +‎ café (coffee). Compare Italian ammazzacaffè (literally coffee-killer).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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pousse-café m (plural pousse-café or pousse-cafés)

  1. (informal) chasse-café, pousse-café (small glass of alcohol after coffee)
    Synonym: (archaic, rare) chasse-café

Further reading

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