Literal Translation
To be in the… dèche
Actual Meaning
To be very poor
Etymology
The expressions ‘quelle dèche’ and ‘être dans la dèche’ have a colourful origin. A certain Hann was the drum major at the Cirque-Olympique in Paris. His dream was to become an actor.
He was given a small role in a Napoleonic play by a certain Laloue: dressed as the drum major of the imperial guard, he was scolded by Napoleon. Napoleon was referring to his torn costume, which was much less elegant than the beautiful uniform he wore in the reviews. Hann was supposed to reply, ‘Quelle déception, mon Empereur!’ (What a disappointment, my Emperor!) to indicate his misery.
As he was of German origin, he mispronounced the word ‘déception’ and, during the premiere, the audience heard ‘quelle dèche…ption’ and thought it was a line from the script. The audience applauded, the critics mentioned it in their reviews, and the expression became part of everyday language!