N'importe quoi

7. N'importe quoi ! / N'importe quoi...
pronounced more or less: nanh por teuh kwah OR nanh port kwah
A literal translation is senseless for this expression, so let's opt for literal meaning: "anything." The verb "importer" in this case = "to matter."
Variants: C'est n'importe quoi !
Implications: This expression is an instant, negative judgment, a "put down," if you will. It's the equivalent of: "What bunk!" / "What nonsense!" / "Whatever..." or if you're from New England, "wadehvah." It's more a reaction to what has just been said than to what has just been done, but can be used in both instances.
Remarks:  N'importe quoi is not necessarily pejorative; it can also be used to mean simply "anything," in the sense that "it doesn't matter; anything will do."

Example One: You're out for a walk and stop to read the announcements posted on the board of the village square. One proposes an activity for this Sunday afternoon, from three to five in the village's Salle polyvalente (multipurpose room). Two euros for adults; anyone under 6 free... The event organizer is also its facilitator: the local restaurant's proprietor, better known for her avarice and empty headedness than her cuisine. The poster invites us to her slide presentation and talk on Spain, Goya, Andalusia and flamenco (both dance and music), followed by a no-host apéro and a dance lesson (rock -- je ne vois pas le rapport), using a DVD purchased at our boulangerie-épicerie. This is the perfect moment to mumble "n'importe quoi..."

(Apparently the rest of the villagers felt the same way; the event was canceled for lack of interest.)


Example Two: Unfortunately, numerous asinine statements (hallucinantes !) made on the heels of the earthquakes, aftershocks and tsunamis that hit Japan last week provide us with too ample opportunity to use this expression. This by Anne Lauvergeon, president of the French state-owned nuclear energy company Avera :"I believe we are going to avoid a nuclear disaster." Another by Eric Besson, French Minister of Industry: "This is certainly a serious accident but not a nuclear catastrophe." And from the WHO (OMS in French): "The public health risks are minimal for Japan."  C'est n'importe quoi !