déconner

Forms

déconner^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French dé- + con + -er, literally “to come out of the vagina”.^[2][3][1] The noun con “vagina”, vulgar slang, is from Latin cunnus.^[4][5]

The Grand Robert finds the step from the original erotic sense to the modern one unclear: it may be a metaphor from that sense, or a crossing with the noun's familiar sense “idiot”.^[3] The Wiktionnaire likewise treats the modern senses as modelled on délirer, with no direct link to the erotic one,^[6] and Rey ties them to the figurative derivatives of the noun, such as connerie.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first sense, now archaic, was erotic: of the penis, to withdraw from the vagina;^[7][4][1] Bob dates it to 1622 and Rey to 1655.^[7][4][1] The TLFi's first dated record of it is in Delvau's Dictionnaire érotique moderne (about 1865).^[2]

Semantic evolution

The figurative sense “to talk or act foolishly” is recorded from 1883, in Larchey's dictionary of slang.^[2][3][7] It follows the development of con itself, which had come to mean “idiot” as a noun in 1780 and as an adjective about 1830.^[4] Today it is as common in familiar speech as connerie.^[4]

From “to talk nonsense” it came to mean “to joke” and, of machines, “to work badly”.^[8][7] Sans déconner “seriously, no kidding” is shortened in speech to sans déc', found in writing from 1978.^[4][8] The verb has given déconnage and the jocular déconophone “a stream of nonsense”, after téléphone.^[4][2]

Timeline

• 1622 – First recorded in the erotic sense.^[7]
• 1655 – Rey's first date for the old erotic verb.^[4]
• 1833 – The form is recorded with the modern meaning.^[4]
• c. 1865 – Delvau's erotic dictionary defines the literal sense.^[2]
• 1883 – Larchey records the figurative sense “to talk nonsense”.^[2][3][7]
• 1978 – Sans déc' appears in writing.^[4][8]

Meanings

Verb

1. (familiar, vulgar) To talk or act nonsense, to say or do stupid things: Arrête de déconner !^[8][2][3]
2. (familiar) To joke, to kid around: Je déconnais, ne te fâche pas.^[8][1]
3. (familiar) Of a machine, to work badly, to malfunction: Mon ordinateur déconne depuis hier.^[8][9][1]
4. (familiar) To go too far, to behave recklessly.^[7][6]
5. Sans déconner: seriously, no kidding.^[8][3]
6. (archaic, vulgar) Of the penis, to withdraw from the vagina.^[1][6][3]

Usage notes

Faut pas déconner ! means “that's going too far”, and tu déconnes ! can mean “you're wrong”, “you're lying” or “you're joking”.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b c Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
7. ^ a b c d e f g Bob, dictionnaire d'argot, de français familier et populaire, languefrancaise.net/Bob
8. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)