apprenti-sorcier

French

Alternative forms

• apprenti sorcier

Etymology

Calque of German Zauberlehrling.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.pʁɑ̃.ti.sɔʁ.sje/

Noun

apprenti-sorcier m (plural apprentis-sorciers)

1. (derogatory) sorcerer's apprentice (person who experiments carelessly, without paying attention to the possible consequences of their experiments and without the ability to contain them should they spiral out of control)

   jouer à l’apprenti-sorcier ― to play God

See also

• savant fou