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A POTENTIAL PENALTY FOR MISSING A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN NICKNAMED LA TAXE LAPIN - WE EXPLAIN WHY There are many phrases in French that use the word _lapin_, meaning rabbit, to

describe a range of situations. We have picked six which are often used in everyday French. 1. POSER UN LAPIN The former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he wanted to impose a penalty on

people who miss a doctor’s appointment - leading to the plan being nicknamed _la taxe lapin_ (the rabbit tax). READ MORE: SENATORS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF NO-SHOW FEES FOR GP APPOINTMENTS IN

FRANCE This comes from the expression _poser un lapin_, which means to miss an appointment without warning the other person. Its literal translation is to ‘place a rabbit’. If you are stood

up by a friend, you can say: _il m’a posé un lapin_. It is thought to have appeared around 1890 among students - previously _faire poser_ (‘make place’) meant to make someone wait. The

_lapin_ part is thought to have originated from prostitutes who used it to refer to clients who left without paying. It evolved to generally refer to someone who would leave without paying

in any context. The two expressions later combined to mean someone who would not show up to an agreed rendezvous. 2. NE PAS VALOIR UN PET DE LAPIN Literally meaning not being worth a

rabbit’s fart, this expression is used to mean something that has no value. There is not an explanation for why a rabbit’s flatulence was chosen over another animal’s. In the past, the

cuckoo was used rather than the rabbit but rabbit became more popular over time. The turn of phrase is slightly rude so it is not recommended to use it in a professional or formal context.

If a friend comes to you with a nonsensical business idea, you can rebuke them by saying: _a ne vaut pas un pet de lapin _(it is not worth a rabbit’s fart). 3. COUP DU LAPIN This expression

has a few different meanings. Firstly, it is the term for whiplash, the injury usually sustained in cars when sudden braking leads to a person’s head jerking forward or back and damaging

their neck. It is also the term used to refer to a rabbit punch. This is a punch to the back of the head or neck which can be extremely dangerous and often fatal, because of damage to the

spinal cord. The term originated from the technique hunters used to kill rabbits, with a quick, sharp blow to the back of the head. It can also be used to mean betraying or stabbing someone

in the back, related to the previous use. If you say, _je me suis fait un coup du lapin_ (literally, ‘I gave myself a rabbit hit’), it will be understood as you suffering from whiplash. 4.

MON PETIT LAPIN My little rabbit is a term of endearment in French. It can be used for romantic partners or for children, or anyone else you would like to give an affectionate nickname to.

When your partner or child comes home from a long day, you can greet them by saying _ça va mon petit lapin?_ (How are you my little rabbit?) 5. COURIR COMME UN LAPIN This translates to

running like a rabbit. It can be used to refer to fleeing but it generally means to run very fast. If your tennis opponent keeps getting to balls you do not expect him to, you can tell him

_tu cours comme un lapin_. It is not rude but is generally an informal expression. You can also replace rabbit with zebra (_zèbre_) for the same meaning. The expression comes from the fact

that rabbits are very fast and hard to catch when being chased. 6. PRENDRE POUR UN LAPIN DE SIX SEMAINES If someone is taking you for a fool or treating you like an idiot, then _il te prend

pour un lapin de six semaines_ (they are taking you for a six-week old rabbit). The expression is similar to ‘being born yesterday’ in the sense of naivete. It specifically refers to six

weeks because it is typically at six weeks that a mother rabbit will stop nursing its young. Therefore, the baby rabbits are likely to eat and swallow anything whatsoever to fight hunger. It

is often used to specifically refer to someone hiding their intentions. The expression is a more polite version of _prendre pour un con_, with _con_ being a swear word to refer to an idiot.

The next time someone gives you an excuse that is clearly a lie, you can say _arrete de me prendre pour un lapin de six semaines _(stop taking me for a six-week old rabbit). READ MORE FIVE

FRENCH PHRASES WITH SAME ENGLISH MEANING - JUST SWAP THE ANIMAL FRENCH PHRASES THAT FEATURE DOGS (AND SOME CATS)