French Word of the Day: Entarteur

This word describes a fine and long-standing French tradition.

You might come across this word in French media due to the recent death of Belgian comedian Noël Godin.

He was a comedian and writer who became famous for entartage - the art of throwing cream pies at public figures whom he considered overly vain. Over several decades, he targeted politicians, celebrities and intellectuals, including Bill Gates, Patrick Bruel and Nicolas Sarkozy.

His most famous target was French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, whom he pie-d eight times. Godin's stunts required careful planning and often involved a team of accomplices, including the 1997 operation targeting Sarkozy and the 1998 pie attack on Bill Gates in Brussels.

The French word entarteur, roughly pronounced ahn-tar-tur, refers to someone who throws a cream pie or cake into someone's face - particularly as a form of prank or protest.

The word comes from entarter , meaning “to put a tart in/on someone’s face”, from tarte (pie) with the suffix - eur , used to describe someone who performs an action.

The word became particularly associated Godin, famous for throwing cream pies at politicians, celebrities and other public figures, but it can be used for anyone who throws pies.

Other than pies, politicians or celebrities are also used to getting flour thrown on them. The French verb used to describe this type of action is enfariner - it comes from the French la farine - flour.

L'entarteur a encore frappé ! - The pie-thrower has struck again!

Il est connu comme un entarteur de personnalités publiques. - He's known for throwing pies at public figures.

Noël Godin, comique belge et « entarteur » en série, est mort ( Le Monde ) - Noël Godin, Belgian comedian and serial pie-thrower is dead