Words Not in English: French for a Cuddly Friend

Chapter

Mar 12 2015

Gold Tape

Words Not in English: French for a Cuddly Friend

Perhaps you know that I am a passionate advocate for cuddly friends. On a particularly stressful day in high school, a friend gave me a stuffed penguin, and carrying my new friend around made me feel just as fuzzy as the companion in my hug. So I kept it up.

When I go away for the weekend, I tend to bring Bunny, but this time in Paris, I did not. Arriving at my first host’s chic flat, I noticed a new addition to her pillow: a small bear with a Burberry bow around its neck. She then expounded upon the many benefits of such a companion, making me regret my decision to leave my Friends behind.

Later, walking down Parisian streets with my second host, we cooed over a small child in a stroller, clutching a soft toy. And then I learned a new word.

Since moving to the UK, where “stuffed animal” connotes taxidermy, I have struggled to find a term for my favourite toys – they’re not toys, they’re animals, beings… – so “cuddly friend” has been the closest I have found. Monkey and I refer to my collection as The Friends.

Le doudou!

A “doudou” is more than just a child’s cuddly toy – it represents a special, close bond between a child and a cherished object. Like a “security blanket”, but in the form of a toy, a mother’s scarf, or, as my sister dubbed her favourite pacifier, her “passy”. Something that receives many, many hugs.

As the weekend went by, I felt the absence of my own doudous, so when my flight was delayed at Charles de Gaulle, fate rewarded me: purchasing a snack, I found Lady and the Tramp. I had been considering adopting such Friends during my last visit to Disneyland, but none of their recreations were quite right. These, however, were perfect. And made me instantly happy.

your-assignment

Now, may I meet your doudous, s’il vous plaît?

xandra-signature

P.S. Why you should bring a cuddly friend to tea

Play Audiobook

Be my pen pal!