Glossary

Sources

Wikipedia
Gavin Campbell's Glossary of French Terms in Pétanque in New Zealand: More than just ball game
Egon Pozniak Pétanque: Boules Down Under
Peter Beaumont's Terms of Pétanque

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la Belle: The final and deciding game of three. The second is known as la Revanche.

un Biberon: When a boule finishes up actually touching the jack. The word literally means a baby's bottle.

Bonne Maman: A way of rolling the boule on a very smooth surface in which the player bends forward from the waist and releases the boule near the feet.

les Boules Cloutées: Old style boules with nails hammered into a wood sphere. See Herbert Wegner's website (multi-lingual) for details on these Boules.

Boule Devant: The French saying Boule devant, c'est boule d'argent (a boule in front is a boule of silver), means that you should always try to keep pointing boules in front of the jack as here they will always have additional value as obstacles. When the other side try to get near the jack, they are in danger of knocking these blocking boules even closer. (see also le Devant-de-Boule)

les Boules Farcies: Boules that have been tampered with by the injection of either mercury or heavy oil. This moves their weight off centre and makes them more accurate when pointing. Fortunately they are very rare - and, of course, illegal.

les Boules Lisses: Boules that have no rings or stripes cut into their surface. Many shooters favour this kind of perfectly smooth boule.

les Boules Quadrillées: Boules that have a large number of stripes or rings cut into their surface. This kind of boule is often favoured by pointers. They have been nicknamed pineapples.

le Cadrage: The method of eliminating some teams or players so that the main competition can be run with the more manageable numbers of 16, 32, 64, etc.

À Carreau: When a shooting boule scores a perfect direct hit on the target boule and, in doing so, not only knocks it away, but takes its exact position. The origin of the term is thought to have come from the fighting expression rester carreau - to remain on the spot, to be laid out cold. Pronounced car-o.

la Cassquette: When a shooting boule bounces off the top of the target boule without moving it at all. The word literally means a cap.

Chiquer (une boule): When a shooter just tips the target boule and hardly moves it at all.

la Consolante: The Plate Competition organised for those that do not qualify for the final rounds of the Main Competition. Entry into this secondary competition is often automatic in this country and there is sometimes also a Wooden Spoon Competition for those that do not qualify for or are eliminated from the Plate Competition. The elimination games for the Main Competition are usually played in pools, but the final rounds of the Main, Plate or Wooden Spoon Competitions are normally played on a knockout basis.

le Couloir: The shape formed by a group of spectators standing round a game in progress. The word literally means corridor.

la Demi-Portée: A pointing throw in which the boule is thrown to land half way down the pitch. In other words, a half lob.

le Devant-de-Boule: When a boule finishes up in front of and touching an opponent's. This is a particularly effective placement as the opponent risks moving his or her own boule in an attempt to remove it. (see also Boule Devant)

Donnée: Part of the terrain to which the boule is aimed when pointing. Also known as the landing spot.

Doublettes: Doubles, the game played by two people against two others using three boules each.

To Fanny: To beat one's opponents 13-0 (mettre fanny). The figure of a bare-bottomed lass named Fanny is ubiquitous in Provence wherever pétanque is played. It is traditional that when a player loses 13 to 0 it is said that il est fanny (he's fanny) or il a fait fanny (he made fanny), and that he has to kiss the bottom of a girl called Fanny. Since there is rarely an obliging Fanny's behind handy, there is usually a substitute picture, woodcarving or pottery so that Fanny's bottom is available. More often, the team which has been fannied has to offer a beverage to the winning team (see the French popular expression Fanny paie à boire!). Note: The Masterton club uses a frog!