bedebbouz بالدبوز
Algerian Darja · expression
“bedebbouz” (بالدبوز) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning by force, violently.
Meanings
- by force, violently
- with a beating
Usage
Bedebbouz literally means "with the club"; a debbouz is a big stick or truncheon. The expression describes something imposed by physical coercion or violence, often brutally. It is often used about authority, harsh upbringing or power: "yrebbiwhoum bedebbouz", to raise them with a stick. The tone is colloquial and often critical. It is stronger than "bezzour" or "bedra3", which express coercion in general: bedebbouz keeps an image of blows and repression.
Example
ما يخدمش غير بالدبوز
ma ykhdemch ghir bedebbouz
“He only works if you force him with a stick.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bedebbouz” but also “bedabbuz”, “bdebbouz” and “beddebouz”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.