Canada· hard· informal
être en beau joual vert
“to be a fine green horse (joual is the Quebec word for horse)”
Meaning
to be in a towering rage
Explanation
This is Quebec's polite stand-in for swearing when you're properly angry. 'Joualvert' softens the religious oath 'calvaire' by swapping out the first part and hearing the ending as the colour green.
Example
Quand il a vu la facture, il était en beau joual vert.
When he saw the bill, he was absolutely furious.
Origin
'Joualvert' softens the religious oath 'calvaire': the first part gets swapped for something harmless and the ending is reheard as the colour vert (green). The switch stuck partly because 'cheval vert' (green horse, said the same way as 'joual vert') was already a fixture in Quebec folklore, and even the name of a 19th century beer.
Where
Quebec
Source