avoir l'oignon qui décalotte

n. m.

1. 'Turnip', fob-watch.

2. Arsehole, anus. L'avoir dans l'oignon: To have been 'conned', 'diddled', to have been duped. Quand il a repris son fric, c'est nous qu'on l'a eu dans l'oignon: It really fucked us up when he withdrew his subsidies!

3. Luck, good fortune. Avoir de l'oignon: To have the luck of the devil. (Expressions such as avoir l'oignon qui décalotte, synonymous with the previous one, tend to emphasize what Albert Simonin states in his NOUVEAU DICTIONNAIRE DE L'ARGOT, namely the link between sodomy and good fortune. Simonin is of the opinion that many successes can be linked to past homosexual liaisons. A similar bias can be found in cocu; see that word.)

4. En rang d'oignons: In a neat row. On avait l'air vraiment fin là, tous en rang d'oignons! There we were standing like a neat row of dummies! (It would appear that the expression comes from the language of the vegetable garden, and usually refers to people.)

5. Ce n'est pas (also: ce ne sont pas) mes oignons! It's none of my business! Je fais ce qui me plaît, c'est mes oignons! What I do is my business! Occupe-toi de tes oignons! Keep your nose out of it!

6. Aux petits oignons: 'First-rate', 'smashing', superb. Son système, il est aux petits oignons! You can't fault the way he organizes things!

7. Arranger quelqu'un aux petits oignons (iron.): To 'give someone a proper dressing-down', to tell someone off in no uncertain manner.

8. Course à l'oignon: Act of chucking someone out by the scruff of his neck and the seat of his pants.

9. Un oignon à réclamers (Racing slang): A selling-stakes nag (the kind of steed unlikely to ever really make it on the courses).