avoir le cafard

French

Etymology

From cafard (“melancholy”). This term originated from poetry writer Baudelaire in “Les Fleurs du mal” in 1857. Le cafard came to mean an extreme depression or sense of pointlessness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.vwaʁ lə ka.faʁ/

• Audio:

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Verb

avoir le cafard

1. (informal, figurative) to have the blues, to feel blue
   • 1927, “J'ai l'cafard”, Jean Éblinger (music), performed by Fréhel:

     J’ai l’cafard, j’ai l’cafard / Je le sens qui me perce comme avec un poignard / La cervelle d’part en part

     I have the blues, I am feeling blue / I feel it piercing me like a dagger / Brains through and through

Conjugation

• see avoir