Le bouchon
Example: Le bouchon sur l'autoroute a duré plus d'une heure.
Definition
"Le bouchon" refers to a traffic jam or congestion, especially on roads or highways, where vehicles are stuck or moving very slowly. For example, in the phrase "Le bouchon sur l'autoroute a duré plus d'une heure," it means the traffic jam on the highway lasted more than an hour.
Etymology
The word "le bouchon" originally means 'cork' or 'stopper' in French, derived from Old French. The metaphorical use for traffic congestion comes from the idea of a cork blocking the flow, similar to how vehicles block the road, causing a 'stopper' effect in traffic.
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"Le bouchon" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - General - (B1) - set 3", containing 113 commonly used words.
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