In France, ‘pressing the mushroom’ is not exactly what it sounds like.
Why do I need to know appuyer sur le champignon?
Because, although it sounds like a funny thing to do, it’s actually a way of describing a very ordinary and mundane action.
What does it mean?
Appuyer sur le champignon, roughly pronounced ah-pwee-yay sur luh sham-pee-nyon (listen here), translates to ‘press the mushroom’, but it’s actually the French way of saying ‘step on it’ or ‘hit the gas’.
In a car, le champignon signifies ‘the gas pedal/accelerator pedal’, and by pressing it the car will move faster.
Although modern pedals look nothing like mushrooms, initially they were shaped like a metal rod with a ball on the top – like a mushroom hat.
When French children go on school trips by bus, they sometimes sing:
Chauffeur, si t’es le champion,
Appuie, appuie,
Chauffeur, si t’es le champion,
Appuie sur le champignon !
Which means:
‘Driver, if you’re the champion,
Step on, step on,
Driver, if you’re the champion,
Step on the gas!’
Use it like this
Nous sommes déjà en retard. Appuie sur le champignon ! – We’re already late. Step on it!
Qui pense pouvoir appuyer sur le champignon dans les rues désertes, se fera prendre. – Anyone thinking that they can just put their foot down in deserted areas will get caught.
You may also use it as a way of saying ‘accelerate’ something other than the speed of a car.
Les opérateurs vont appuyer sur le champignon dans les zones blanches en France pour enfin y mettre en place de la 4G. – The operator will accelerate the process of putting in place 4G in France’s ‘dead zones’.
Pendant les vacances on évite d’appuyer sur le champignon et essaye de rien faire. – During the holidays we avoid speeding and try to not do anything.
