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French the llama

An exclamation of amazement, from a nerdfighter's joke that the "FTL" in "world suck FTL" (really "for the lose") means "French the llama".

Origin on the channel: John explains 'French the llama': a nerdfighter told him the 'FTL' in 'world suck FTL' means 'French the llama' (really 'for the lose'); he wants it as an exclamation of amazement. — Awesome Project Is Awesome 00:02:21

in-group term (bit-phrase) · in 28 videos, 2009–2023 · peak 2010 (8 videos) · last heard 2023

Videos per year: 2009: 2 · 2010: 8 · 2011: 7 · 2012: 3 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1

Every video

2009

date video use what is said
2009-12-20 Awesome Project Is Awesome 00:02:21 origin John explains 'French the llama': a nerdfighter told him the 'FTL' in 'world suck FTL' means 'French the llama' (really 'for the lose'); he wants it as an exclamation of amazement.
2009-12-27 How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ 00:02:07 callback Hank says 'French the llama' won't catch on; John vows to make it happen.

2010

date video use what is said
2010-03-10 New Tour! New Book! (Remember Books?) Your Q's A'ed! 00:00:29 callback John exclaims 'French the Llama!' on realizing his book is out in 28 days.
2010-03-29 Quotations (And Holden Hats) 00:00:10 callback John exclaims 'French the Llama!' at tax season.
2010-04-07 Shmancy Hotel Room Is Shmancy 00:01:12 callback John exclaims 'French the llama!' at something a Nerdfighter shows at the tour event.
2010-07-20 I Like Balls 00:02:12 callback John exclaims 'French the llama!'
2010-08-24 FRENCH THE LLAMA! John is 33! 00:04:20 callback Hank's birthday song uses 'French the llama' as its refrain: 'now you're 33, French the llama'.
2010-10-27 You Are Awesome 00:02:04 callback John looks for his French the Llama llama prop, then exclaims 'French the llama!' on finding the $540 check.
2010-12-13 8 Things I Love 00:02:30 callback John uses 'French the llama' as an exclamation of amazement about Vi Hart.
2010-12-29 Baby on the Road: Thoughts from Places 00:01:48 callback John exclaims 'French the llama' at Robert Penn Warren's sentence.

2011

date video use what is said
2011-02-09 NERDFIGHTERS UNITE! (in your pants) 00:00:31 callback John brings French the Llama on the in-joke walk.
2011-04-29 Peanut Butter Face Question Tuesday 00:00:13 callback John asks why 'cougish' is a thing when 'French the llama' continues not to be.
2011-06-29 THE FAULT IN OUR STARS 00:00:29 callback John greets TFiOS reaching number one with his exclamation 'French the Llama'.
2011-09-02 Tattoo Typos, Senses, Posters and Bad Movies 00:00:26 callback Hank says there are not many of the Ellen Hardcastle and French the Llama posters, so viewers should be fast. → Hank urges viewers to buy the scarce Nerdfighter-designed posters at DFTBA.com quickly (2011) (promotion (not a request), 2011-09-09)
2011-09-30 YouTube Survey: Balls and First Kisses 00:00:29 callback John exclaims 'French the Llama!' at the $55,000 Nerdfighter Kiva total.
2011-10-28 Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars 00:30:01 callback John uses the inside joke 'French the llama', apparently in place of 'thank you', in his closing thanks to viewers.
2011-11-02 LECTROJOG! 00:02:15 callback The fan painting shows John riding a literal French llama, smoking.

2012

date video use what is said
2012-07-03 The Physics of Book Clubs and Vidcon 00:01:07 callback John exclaims 'French the freaking llama' about thousands singing Hank's particle-physics song.
2012-08-17 Open Letter to the Wizards 00:03:40 callback Hank names the toy 'French, the puppy-sized llamaphant', calling back to French the llama.
2012-09-25 Do Businesses Need to Suck? 00:00:58 callback John credits DFTBA employee Kristen Franklin with first saying 'French the Llama' in Nerdfighteria and exclaims it.

2014

date video use what is said
2014-01-28 Question Tuesday! TFIOS Movie Trailer, Penguin Knees, and Backflips 00:00:53 callback John exclaims 'French the llama' and says he is still trying to make it a thing.
2014-12-08 I'm Home! Time to Get Ready for the 2014 Project for Awesome 00:01:11 mention John thanks everyone who donated time and effort, from Natalie Tran to Troye Sivan to Nerdfighters who made art perks like French the Llama paintings; many perks are one-of-a-kind. → Hank asks viewers to apply to make art for the Project for Awesome's Nerdfighter Art Perk by October 27 (2014) (reported back, 2025-10-24)

2015

date video use what is said
2015-01-04 The Best Worst Thing 00:01:30 callback John recalls shouting 'Are you French the llama kidding me?!' on the Paper Towns set when Wimbledon drew Liverpool.
2015-04-21 A Stunning Turn of Events 00:01:49 callback John jokes he would explain his Time 100 place to Rand Paul as 'the guy who popularized the phrase French the llama'.
2015-09-29 Writing, Walling, Racing, and Wizard Schooling 00:02:18 callback French llamas are among the objects on John's wall.

2016

date video use what is said
2016-06-10 Hank Roasts Himself Diss Track - Roast Yourself Challenge 00:02:43 callback Hank's new DFTBA toy is a tiny French llama. → French llama vinyl toy: DFTBA's first toy of its kind, $7 at DFTBA.com (2016)

2022

date video use what is said
2022-10-14 The Surprise Revelation of NerdfArters 00:01:44 callback French the Llama is one of the NerdfArters prompts Hank lists as deep lore.

2023

date video use what is said
2023-12-24 John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:18:41 mention A Nerdfighter dictionary lightning round defines puppy-sized elephants, stuff on heads, French the llama, puff levels, Decepticons, the Giant Squid of Anger, tiny chicken disease, secret siblings, in your pants and the gang sign.