Learning French: the origins and meaning of 22 v’la les flics and other police terms
Hearing the number 22 when in France may suggest the police are nearby
Flic is a slang way of referring to the police in France
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We look at some colloquial terms and expressions you might hear in talk about the police and gendarmes in France.
One of the most common is flics - the equivalent of the English word ‘cops’. There are various theories about its origins.
Some say flic is an onomatopoeic echo of the noise made from police batons hitting the floor with their metal tip.
Others say it comes from the German word fliege, which means ‘fly’ and dates to 14th Century France when traitors and spies who collaborated with authorities would be referred to as mouches (flies). This eventually expanded to the police themselves.
You may also hear the more mocking animal term poulet (chicken), being used to describe officers. The closest English equivalent would be ‘pigs’, however the meaning of poulet is not quite so intense and can vary from mocking to disrespectful.
This term is said to have been coined in 1871 in Paris, when the police moved into barracks which were built on a former poultry market but over time it has gained a negative connotation.
Modern alternatives to flic include keuf and ripoux. Nowadays, it is common to invert the pronunciation of existing words to create new slang words. Both terms are examples of this: keuf comes from flic and ripoux from pourri, which translates as ‘corrupt’.
A slang phrase featuring the term flic is: 22 v’la les flics.
What does 22 v’la les flics mean?
V’la is a contracted way of writing voilà (there is), and is pronounced: [vuh-ah-la].
Therefore, the saying literally translates as: 22, here are the cops.
If someone sees a police car approaching, they may call out ‘vingt-deux’ (the number twenty-two) as a warning, much like ‘five-O’ is used in the US.
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What are the origins of 22 v’la les flics?
This code was initially used by linotypists working with typesetting machines in the 19th Century to warn each other of the boss approaching.
Size 22 was the text used for headlines so it could be shouted out without raising any suspicions.
Read also: English-speakers share the funny mistakes they have made in French
When do you say 22 v’la les flics?
This phrase is no longer said very often but you may still hear it being used by older generations or in old films.
It is mainly used to alert someone that the police coming, or to suggest that they are doing something risky:
If you would like us to explain a particular word or expression, or if you have any other Learning French suggestions, let us know at: feedback@connexionfrance.com
