taillable et corvéable à merci

French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Literally, “to be liable to tax and to forced labour at will”. During the Ancien Régime, anyone who was not clergy or an aristocrat – namely, the commoners – had to pay taille (land tax) or do corvée (forced labour).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ta.ja.bl‿e kɔʁ.ve.a.bl‿a mɛʁ.si/ ~ /tɑ.ja.bl‿e kɔʁ.ve.a.bl‿a mɛʁ.si/

Adjective

taillable et corvéable à merci (plural taillables et corvéables à merci)

(idiomatic) heavily taxed; enslaved to do onerous work
(figurative, humorous) exploitable endlessly; at the beck and call of; at one's bidding

Usage notes

Often preceded by être in a sentence.