Literal translation
to be as straight as a mast
Meaning
to stand bolt upright, stiff as a post
Explanation
The phrase plays on the double meaning of dre in Provençal, both straight and standing upright. A bigo is a mast, more likely a flagpole or a greasy pole than a ship's mast, and thus perfectly rigid. To stand dre coumo uno bigo is to hold oneself stiff and upright, with a haughty air. Implicitly, it suggests the person has a pole stuck somewhere unmentionable. In Provençal custom, where warmth is prized and coldness reads as arrogance, the image carries real social judgment. A Vaucluse variant compares the stance to a poplar tree.