Sock Juice

[Diane93]

Hello,

I thought I read somewhere that the French describe American coffee as being like sock juice (jus de chausettes?). Is this true? I hope so because I think it's a hilarious and apt wording. Thanks

[superromu]

yes that's true american coffee or a coffee with more water than coffee is called jus de chaussettes

many years ago, socks was used as filters

[Agnès E.]

Ahem...
My guess is that this kind of coffee compares to water colored by very dirty socks when washed...

[Gil]

Exemple d'emploi:

imagine que tu continues encore tout droit à travers l'océan, tu tomberais en Amérique sur des gens qui tètent des litres d'infâme jus de chaussette, dans des chopes en faïence multicolore...

Source : ici

[Diane93]

Originally Posted by Agnès E.

Ahem...
My guess is that this kind of coffee compares to water colored by very dirty socks when washed...

Yep, you are right. But I must say that in some areas the coffee is improving. I enjoy the description but not the picture it brings to mind

[superromu]

autre expression : C'est clair comme du jus de chaussette
je retire ce que j'ai dit, je pense qu'Agnès a comme toujours raison ! je m'incline un genou à terre !

expression que je me suis rappelé grâce à ce site : http://www.yaronet.com/en/posts.php?sl=&s=41377

[LV4-26]

I've never heard it referring specifically to American coffee. I think it refers to any coffee that doesn't taste good.

Merci pour le lien romu. J'adore "tu veux mes cinq marionnettes sur ton théâtre ?". Dommage, je suis trop pacifique pour avoir l'occasion de l'utiliser.

[Jean-Michel Carrère]

On a slightly different but related note, what is the English for "café léger" : weak coffee ? / light coffee ?

Also, I would be interested in knowing whether anybody knows of some slang and pejorative phrase used in English to describe coffee when it is "jus de chaussettes".

[panjandrum]

Originally Posted by Jean-Michel Carrère

On a slightly different but related note, what is the English for "café léger" : weak coffee ? / light coffee ?

Also, I would be interested in knowing whether anybody knows of some slang and pejorative phrase used in English to describe coffee when it is "jus de chaussettes".

Q1 - I expect this is weak coffee - although I am not sure what café léger is. Weak coffee contains very little coffee

Q2 - I am not sure how slang and pejorative you want to be in describing weak coffee - "jus de chaussettes" - but I found the expression "love in a canoe coffee" a short time ago, meaning coffee that is extremely close to the water

[E-J]

By 'café léger', do you mean watery coffee? I can't think of any term that's specific to coffee, though I've often heard very weak or watery tea, coffee or beer referred to as cat's p*** (or cat's pee). Not particularly sophisticated descriptions, but they get to the point

My favourite coffee-related put-down comes from the British comedy series 'Blackadder'. The main character enters his dingy local coffee shop, greets the owner and calls for "a cup of your best hot water with brown grit in it. Unless, of course, by some miracle, your coffee shop has started selling coffee."

[LV4-26]

Originally Posted by E-J

though I've often heard very weak or watery tea, coffee or beer referred to as cat's p*** (or cat's pee). Not particularly sophisticated descriptions, but they get to the point

Funny, in French "du pipi de chat" refers to something unimportant, ineffective, something which isn't worth much.

For bad coffee, wine or beer, we use "de la pisse d'âne".