About
Sacre Bleu
The term sacre bleu has had many interpretations throughout the centuries. It has evolved from a reference to the blue robe worn by the Virgin Mary in Renaissance paintings to a contemporary expression of astonishment used by the candelabra character Lumier in the movie Beauty and the Beast. While it’s literal translation is sacred blue, today it is most commonly used to express amazement.
The expression is no longer used in the major French-speaking countries France, Belgium or Switzerland, but in the English-speaking world, it is well known from Agatha Christie’s books about the fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Sacrebleu is also used many times in American cartoons that depict French characters. Such examples include Disney movies like The Aristocats, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. In the comic book, Blackhawk, the phrase is Andre the Frenchman’s favorite oath.
