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Écoutez, tes coutumes, tu sais où tu peux te les carrer.

His interlocuter is trying desperately to explain the situation to the speaker, only to have his words fall on deaf ears. I'm assuming this is an ironic remark, and a pejorative one at that, similar in meaning to, for instance:

Je n’ai que faire de tout ce qui a trait à tes coutumes.

But how do you usually use this expression?

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Se carrer quelque chose means in this context "to stick it up your ass" (pardon my French...). If it was not explicit enough, it is a short form for tu peux te les carrer dans le cul.

As you can guess, this is a very, very vulgar expression. You would use that only if you are really mad, or only with friends, if you know you can use some agressive language in an ironic, bantering tone with them. A milder form would be tu peux te les mettre où je pense, but still... use it with caution...

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  • Oh, I see. Do you think my paraphrase is close enough, taking the edge off the vulgar aspect? Nov 18, 2017 at 9:54
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    It gives the general meaning in much more civil terms, yes. But with "se les carrer", there is also an idea that your interlocutor should forget about it, that he should stop talking about it or thinking about it. Ex: "pas la peine de m'offrir des fleurs pour t'excuser: tu peux te le carrer dans le... " Also works with one's self: Ex: "mes vacances, je peux me les carrer dans le ... : mon chef les a annulées". (I can't believe I am giving such examples on this site but that's some real-life French...)
    – Greg
    Nov 18, 2017 at 10:07
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    For another close expression: "You know where you can shove them..."
    – Luke Sawczak
    Nov 18, 2017 at 11:01
  • J'y vois clair maintenant. On s’en sert donc quand, par exemple, quelqu’un s'attarde longuement sur un sujet qu’on en a déjà marre d’écouter. Nov 18, 2017 at 11:28
  • Oui, l'expression lui demande alors d'arrêter de parler de ce sujet à l'avenir. Comme si le fait de le mettre dans son derrière faisait disparaître ce sujet de discussion... Un exemple personnel: pendant des vacances entre amis, un ami parlait sans cesse de faire un feu. Personne ne le suivait dans son idée, mais il insistait. Après plusieurs jours, je lui ai dit "tu sais où tu peux te le mettre, ton feu ?". Mais je me le suis permis parce que c'est un vieil ami...
    – Greg
    Nov 18, 2017 at 11:59

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