mauvais quart d'heure

/ movɛ kar dœr /

noun

1. a brief unpleasant experience

Word History and Origins

Origin of mauvais quart d'heure¹

literally: (a) bad quarter of an hour

Example Sentences

It’s given us such the mauvais quart d’heure that I’ve hardly been able to keep the quenelles down.

From Washington Post

The "Quart d'heure de Rabelais," if translated into Anglo-French, may be taken to express a bad time of it with the roughs in Trafalgar Square, i.e., a mauvais quart d'heure de Rabble—eh?

From Project Gutenberg

But you have a mauvais quart d'heure ahead, Connolly!—curse me if you have not!

From Project Gutenberg

Those fifteen minutes had none the less proved a mauvais quart d'heure for Mr. Kelly.

From Project Gutenberg

For I warrant she gave him Un mauvais quart d'heure.

From Project Gutenberg