Congo - Kinshasa· medium· informal
casser le bic
“to break the pen”
Meaning
To drop out of school
Explanation
In Congolese French, 'le bic' (from the Bic pen brand) represents school and studying. Breaking it means giving up on education.
Example
Son fils a cassé le bic à seize ans pour aller travailler au marché.
His son dropped out of school at sixteen to go work at the market.
Origin
The Bic ballpoint pen became iconic in African schools as the essential tool of a student. In Congolese slang, 'casser le bic', breaking that pen, became a vivid metaphor for abandoning one's studies.
Where
DRC
Congo
Source