avoir un nom à coucher dehors

To have an unpronounceable name

Describes a name so strange, long, or foreign-sounding that it is nearly impossible to say or spell. The fuller version is 'un nom à coucher dehors avec un billet de logement', meaning even with an official lodging pass, you'd still end up sleeping outside.

Le nouveau collègue s'appelle Przemysław... vraiment un nom à coucher dehors.

The new colleague is called Przemysław... truly a name you can't get anyone to say.

Medieval innkeepers sorted guests by surname to reflect social rank. Those at the bottom of the list were turned away when the inn was full. Later, during the Napoleonic campaigns, foreign mercenaries billeted in French homes often had unpronounceable names, reinforcing the expression. It came into common figurative use in the 19th century.