I told a French neighbour (in English) that he was being a tease. I will leave it to your imagination how red my face was when he looked in our big french/english dictionary and his wife explained what Taquin is

They nearly choked themselves laughing.

taquin
adj taquin, taquine [tak??, takin] coquin qui aime s'amuser à contrarier les autres
un petit garçon taquin
I didn't know there was another meaning. My attempts to check online haven't helped.

OK I will add to my previous post that the very correct lady of the house. (They own the bigest industry in the village, keep a stable of horses and are very high in the education and pecking order here) explained that taquin meant a women that would tease men in a sexual way. Hence my embarrasement.

I agree our £30 huge dictionary did not explain that meaning at all. As said before at least they thought it funny. After all I had just called the husband a taquin or "sexual teaser" which here and in England is a quite big insult.

PS I dread to think what the coloquial meaning of petit garcon taquin is (too tired to find cedillas. have been to local fete and time for bed) xx

All help in avoiding liguistic pratfalls gratefully recieved. I was taught by les bonnes soeurs and they didn't go in for coloquialisms. I have been caught out more than once.

I believe the expression used may be "malin(e)" although translates to cunning has been used by our neighbours on many occasions in the context of teasing.

Thanks Lestroisours but I don't think I will try and use anything like it again. Far too risky for me.
Mind you I know of somebody who asked for "penis flavoured jam" (wantd pine flavoured honey) and another who stood in the Brico and asked for a wood protective (wooden condom in French but Creosote type stuff in English). All male staff rolled around the floor laughing

So maybe I am not so bad after all (or maybe I just don't know about the even worse things I have said OOPS!)

I am told of un homme anglais qui dit "je voudrais une pipe", when he really wanted "une conduit". The young lady in the brico was a little red faced as what he asked for was not within her remit, as it was for a sexual favour.

Yeah, when we were restoring our house, about 25 years ago, I asked the plumber if he'd refaire une pipe dans la maison.....he informed me that perhaps I wanted him to réparer un tuyau.....

Just a thought
It does go the other way as well French neighbours of ours (very old and very "proper") insist on saying, in English, "up your bottom" when they come for an apero