French Word of the Day: Ciboulot

This French word has nothing to do with small onions or herbs.

The French always have creative ways to describe the head and this one even has food origins.

The French word ciboulot , roughly pronounced see-boo-lot - the -t is silent (listen here ), is an informal, often playful word for "head" or "brain". It is often used when talking about thinking, intelligence or mental effort.

Ciboulot comes from ciboule - a type of small onion. The connection is believed to be the round shape of the head, with the suffix -ot giving the word a familiar and affectionate meaning.

The word is very informal and colloquial, so you wouldn't normally use it in formal or professional writing. It's similar in tone to the English word “noggin” or "bonce".

Don't confuse le ciboulot with la ciboulette - the chive you might use for cooking.

Some common expressions with the word ciboulot in French you might come across:

Se creuser le ciboulot (pronounced se creu-zay le see-boo-lo )- to rack your brains / think very hard Example: Je me suis creusé le ciboulot pour trouver une solution. - I racked my brains trying to find a solution.

Avoir quelque chose dans le ciboulot (pronounced ah-vwar kel-kuh shoz dahn luh see-boo-lo ) - to have something on your mind / in your head Example: J'ai cette chanson dans le ciboulot depuis ce matin. - I have this song stuck in my head since this morning.

Avoir une idée dans le ciboulot (pronounced ah-vwar oon ee-day dahn luh see-boo-lo ) - to have an idea in one's head Example: Il a toujours une nouvelle idée dans le ciboulot . - He always has a new idea on his mind.

Il faut faire travailler le ciboulot ! - You've got to use your brain!

Ça me prend la tête, ce truc, mon ciboulot n'en peut plus ! - This thing is doing my head in, my brain can't take it anymore!

Creuse-toi le ciboulot et tu trouveras la réponse. - Think hard about it, and you'll find the answer.