Borrowed from Provençal faiol or fayol, meaning “bean,” ultimately from Latin phaseolus. The military meaning appeared in the nineteenth century, and the sense of an ingratiating person developed from military slang.
Borrowed from Provençal faiol or fayol, meaning “bean,” ultimately from Latin phaseolus. The military meaning appeared in the nineteenth century, and the sense of an ingratiating person developed from military slang.
What does fayot mean in French?
Fayot can mean a dry bean, a person who tries too hard to impress authority, the related adjective, or, historically, a reenlisted serviceman.
Is fayot an insult?
Yes, when fayot describes a person, it usually expresses contempt and suggests insincere flattery or excessive zeal.
Is fayot masculine or feminine?
The bean and old military nouns are masculine. For a person or adjective, the usual feminine is fayote, also written fayotte.
How is fayot pronounced?
Fayot is pronounced /fa.jo/, with the final t silent.
What is the plural of fayot?
The masculine plural is fayots, and the usual feminine plural is fayotes.
Where does fayot come from?
Fayot comes from a Provençal word for a bean. Its later social meaning grew through nineteenth-century military slang.