Literal translation
child of jujube!
Meaning
a mild oath, roughly "good grief"
Explanation
A euphemistic mild oath whose lightness comes entirely from its twist on the abusive formula fan de (child of, a popular form of enfant de), which underlies many southern French oaths of varying strength. The formula is completed here by chichourlo, a word linked to the jujube tree family (jinjourlié, ginjourlo), a small, harmless, almost childlike fruit. This device, common in Provençal oaths, consists precisely in replacing the expected term, often religious or vulgar, with a harmless, sonorous word that keeps the rhythm and the vehemence without carrying the shocking weight. Fan de chichourlo therefore belongs to a familiar but polite register, used to express surprise, irritation, or sudden admiration, much like the French sapristi or bigre, never offending the ears of a child or a priest.