“Tonnerre de Brest” – “Thundering typhoons”

If you’ve ever read the famous Tintin comic strip or watched the animated series, then you’ve most certainly heard Captain Haddock exclaiming *Thundering typhoons!*. That would be “Tonnerre de Brest” in French, literally meaning “Thunder of Brest.” Well, what if I told you it’s actually a Breton expression? That’s right, contrary to what you might think, cartoonist Georges Remi wasn’t the one who invented it! It seems to have been around for some time even before the character was created. In fact, it dates back to 1718, when a massive thunderstorm hit Brest, with thunderclaps so loud and furious, they supposedly struck 24 churches at once. People were so awestruck by the storm’s power that they started using “Tonnerre de Brest” as a swear word, usually at the beginning of a sentence, to express anger or surprise. It was quoted by authors as early as the 19th century, but it really took off in 1941 thanks to Captain Haddock in the Tintin comics. So much for this well-known expression!