What do words on packaging have to do with learning French?
Does anyone else remember ‘Pschitt’, the iconic French lemonade? If you grew up in the 1970s or early 80s, you might recall those glass bottles lining supermarket shelves in France. For my brother Ben and me, this fizzy drink wasn’t just refreshing – it was hilarious!
A Summer Tradition on a Breton Island
Every summer, we spent our holidays on a beautiful Breton island, and buying Pschitt was part of the adventure. Not only could we enjoy the drink, but we could return the empty bottles for a few centimes, which we promptly spent on Carambars (the chewy caramel sweets that always came with a joke inside).
But what made Pschitt truly unforgettable for us? The name!
The Best Excuse to Swear (Sort of!)
As English-speaking kids, we couldn’t believe our luck – this drink had the word “shit” in its name! And because it was an actual brand, we had full permission to say it out loud in front of our parents.
Every evening, we would giggle as we asked our mum:
🗣 “Can we have a glass of Pschitt, please?”
Of course, our mum saw right through our mischief. She explained that the name wasn’t meant to be rude – it was simply an attempt to mimic the sound the bottle makes when you open it. (Fun fact: In French, the “P” is pronounced, as are the “TTs” at the end, so it sounds like “Psshh-it” rather than “shit”!)
That’s when she made a rookie error…
A New French Word to Add to Our Vocabulary
To clarify, she told us that the French word for “shit” is actually “merde.”
Well, that was all we needed! With this newfound knowledge, we had carte blanche to use our fancy new French swear word all summer long. Luckily for her, “merde” isn’t as strong as the English equivalent – it’s more like saying “damn” in English.
Ah, those were happy holidays and a French lesson we never forgot!
What You Can Learn from This
Languages are everywhere, even on product packaging!
Next time you’re in a French supermarket, take a closer look at labels, ingredients, and instructions. You will likely spot words and phrases you recognise, and others that are completely new. It’s a fun and easy way to expand your French vocabulary!
👉 Challenge: Look at French packaging and see what new words you can learn.
Share your discoveries in the comments below!
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