This French expression describes perfectly something you don’t want to deal with.
Why do I need to know bâton merdeux?
You will often hear this French expression in professional or political contexts, when people are discussing a complicated issue that everyone would prefer to avoid.
What does it mean?
The French expression bâton merdeux, roughly pronounced bah-tohn mehr-duh (listen here), literally translates as “a shitty stick”. It is an informal and slightly vulgar expression used to describe an awkward, unpleasant or sensitive problem that nobody wants to deal with. Merdeux comes from the slang word merde, meaning “shit” in French.
The image is pretty straightforward – imagine picking up a stick covered in excrement. You would rather not touch it, and you certainly would not want to pass it on to someone else. In French, the expression is often used when a problem is difficult to handle and whoever takes responsibility risks getting caught up in trouble.
Depending on the context, possible English equivalents include “a messy problem”, “a hot potato”, “a poisoned chalice” or “a minefield” or “shitshow” if you’re looking for something more colloquial. There is a similar English expression ‘to be handed the shitty end of the stick’, which is also about getting a bad deal, but the French bâton merdeux is used to describe the situation or the issue.
The expression can also be used to describe a person who is difficult to deal with or impossible to know how to approach. In this sense, it suggests someone you would rather avoid because any interaction with them is likely to be awkward or unpleasant – this is strongly derogatory, even insulting. It is best kept for casual conversation.
Bear in mind that merdeux is vulgar, so this is an expression best kept for informal conversations rather than formal situations.
Use it like this
Ce dossier, c’est un vrai bâton merdeux. – This case is a real nightmare to deal with.
Le nouveau directeur a hérité d’un sacré bâton merdeux. – The new director has inherited a real mess.
C’est un vrai bâton merdeux, je ne sais jamais comment lui parler. – He’s a real nightmare to deal with. I never know how to talk to him.
Examples in the French press
« C’est un bâton merdeux » : le second tour de la présidentielle avancé ? (Le Parisien) – “It’s a minefield”: Could the presidential election run-off be held earlier?
« Un bâton merdeux » : et si les violences bousculaient le calendrier de la présidentielle ? (Le Point) – “A shitshow”: What if violence disrupted the presidential election calendar?