Bourrer le crâne


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Informal French Expression

Meaning	to fill someone’s head with nonsense; to brainwash
Literally	to stuff the skull
Register	informal
Pronunciation		[boo ray leu krahn]
IPA		[bu ʁe lə kran]

Usage notes: The literal meaning of the informal French expression bourrer le crâne isn’t so far from the figurative ones.

1) “To fill someone’s head with nonsense” – to say a lot of untrue or nonsensical things

Par exemple…

Arrête de bourrer le crâne à ta petite sœur !		Stop filling your little sister’s head with nonsense!
Je déteste cette émission, il bourre le crâne aux enfants.		I hate this show, it fills kids’ heads with silly ideas.

Synonyms

2) “To brainwash” – to deliberately convince someone of something untrue (and often malicious):

Par exemple…

Tu crois ça ? Mais c’est pas possible ! Qui t’a bourré le crâne ?		You believe that? Impossible! Who brainwashed you?
Non, non, un culte est une religion, comme le luthéranisme. Ce sont les sectes qui bourrent le crâne à leurs membres.		No, no, a sect is a religion, like Lutheranism. Cults are the ones that brainwash their members.

Faux amis : un culte = sect, and une secte = cult.

Synonyms