Why do I need to know dingo?
Because if the state of global or political affairs appears to be a bit bizarre, you’ll probably start hearing people using this word more frequently.
What does it mean?
Dingo – roughly pronounced dahn-go – is technically the word for the wild Australian prairie dog (in both French and English).
But the French have another meaning for this word altogether. It comes from “crazy” which means crazy or mad, and can be used as both a noun and an adjective.
Similarly, dingo means ‘loony’ ‘insane’ or ‘nutty.’ For example, if someone is going 30km faster than the speed limit on a narrow road, you might call that person a dingo (a ‘nutter’).
Another French synonym might be fou (crazy).
Recently, a far-right politician in France denounced “crazy eco-friendly” (crazy Greens, or crazy environmentalists) on Twitter and you will sometimes hear it as an unflattering nickname for the mayor of Paris – in her case it’s also a bit of a pun on her name as Anne Hidalgo is pronounced more like ‘Annie Dalgo’ in France, so she is known (not by her supporters, obviously) as Annie Dingo or ‘crazy Annie’.
The word is colloquial, but it can be used in many different situations, as long as the user considers the person or event they are describing to be wild or shocking enough. You probably won’t hear it in very serious conversations, though, as it can be seen as a bit childish.
You can gauge their level of exasperation by whether they add the sarcastic expression “it’s incredible” (it is mind-blowing) afterwards.
Use it like this
This dingo cut us off on the freeway and we almost ran off the road because he was going so fast. – That crazy guy cut us off on the highway and we almost veered off the road because he was going so fast.
The opposition says the government has gone completely crazy. It is true that many people are frustrated. – The opposition says that the government has gone completely crazy. It is true that a lot of people are frustrated.