passer un sapin

French

Etymology

Literally, “to pass down a fir”, from the perceived low quality of balsam fir wood for use in construction.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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• Audio (Canada):

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(Quebec) IPA^(key): [pɑ.se œ̃ sa.pɛ̃]

Verb

passer un sapin

1. (Quebec, informal) to swindle

   Dans les deux cas, on a eu l’impression de se faire passer un sapin : des artistes payés le gros prix s’amènent avec des shows sans âme, livrés sur le pilote automatique

   In both cases, it felt like you were getting swindled: artists paid the big bucks come forth with soulless shows delivered on autopilot.