Chienlit - Charles de Gaulle

Charles De Gaulle

'Chienlit' was brought to notoriety by General Charles de Gaulle in an angry speech during the student protests in Paris during May 1968 in France, when he used the vernacular term as a scatological pun "La réforme oui, la chie-en-lit non" meaning shit in bed. He used it first in a private meeting discussing the demand for direct participation in business and government by students and workers. This was first reported by the Minister of Information Georges Gorse and softened by the French media to 'masquerade/chaos'. De Gaulle then repeated it in a TV broadcast for high impact.

Subsequently the students re-used the expression on leaflets where the silhouette of de Gaulle was accompanied by the slogans "La chienlit, c'est lui ! - the chienlit, it is him!" and "La chienlit, c'est encore lui ! - it is still him!".

The term is now common parlance in French political commentary, used both critically and ironically referring back to de Gaulle.