Quenottes is a charming and somewhat old-fashioned French word for 'little teeth', specifically a child's baby teeth. It's a rare, playful term far less common than the standard dents.
In this song, Brassens uses it for a humorous and striking contrast. The narrator, who once had "des dents d'loup" (wolf teeth), says he swapped them for "des quenottes," highlighting how this domineering yet childlike woman has completely disarmed and tamed him, reducing a fierce man to a harmless, toothless state.
Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit paints a playful yet poignant picture of a swaggering tough-guy who melts into a meek little puppy the moment he falls in love. Georges Brassens compares himself to a loyal dog and his sweetheart to a wind-up doll: she can shut her eyes when laid down, say “Mama” when touched, and switch from baby-sweet to wolf-fierce in a heartbeat. Through witty metaphors—trading wolf fangs for baby teeth, obeying her every summons—Brassens shows how even the proudest rebel can be disarmed by affection.
Underneath the humor lies a deeper commentary on the exhilarating, sometimes frightening power of desire. The singer cheerfully accepts his “captivity,” admitting that jealous rages, ominous prophecies, and even a “last torment” in her arms are a price well worth paying. In short, it is a charming confession that love can shrink the mighty, rule the unruly, and still be irresistible—a lesson delivered with Brassens’s trademark mix of cheeky wordplay and heartfelt sincerity.