What I like about a cliché, it’s that is a cliché ! I have a lot of foreign friends and we were talking about all the little clichés about France. Actually I think some of them are really pretty funny and some of them well they are not so far way from the truth…
So here’s the top #5 clichés from my friends, not always in this same order according to my friends are coming from ! 😉
Cliché #1 : French are always in conflict with everything, most on time on strikes and they are pretty much suffering of laziness….
Well not every one is suffering of laziness, just people working in the administrations, it takes a very long time to get a simple signature and all your file done… or people working in the French railway industry or the “RATP” the French underground company in Paris… ok, they are on strikes too often and we all have enough of them ! (But just between you and me, I think I’ve found worst than the RATP, The London’s tube ! :)) Sometimes the airports or the planes companies too, the teachers as well… I think I can see the rest of the world point, it really begins to be a long list !! Ok then, maybe we are in conflict quite often and on strikes too, but not everyone in France, not all the companies and for what I know, there is a lot of hard-worker people in France, well actually when we aren’t in holidays ! 😉
Cliché #2 : French have always a French Stick / baguette, a cheese and a bottle of wine with him or to his home.
Well, that’s a fact, we like good food, good wine, good bread, and smelly / stinky cheese ! By the way, more a cheese is smelling funny / bad / even stinky, better it will be… yes of course, it could be strange for people not used to, but it’s delicious, really specially with a good glass of wine and a very good bread, that is not so easy to find now, good bread I mean, not good wine. I have to admit that I have just bought today to the grocery a French Stick and a cheese but no wine… Damned, I’m so Frenchy ! As I’ve already said, nobody is perfect right ?!
Cliché #3 : French are wearing beret and a white and navy blue striped jersey.
We do have lot of others hats to wear not just French beret. Actually, we don’t really wear it any more, fashion have changed since WWII ! Personally I do like hat and I’m wearing some almost every day during the winter, most of time I switch between my Stetson cap, Kangol’s cap or some others fashion’s hat ! About the white and blue navy striped jersey, don’t ask me why but it’s very fashionable this year ! You can find it in every fashion shop… when fashion is catching up a cliché !!
Cliché #4 : French people are smelling bad, they barely know the existence of the soap and they use perfume to cover their bad-smelling…
All right I suppose this was right some centuries ago but seriously ? We do take showers every day, we love soaps and shampoos and we’re washing our clothes after wearing it one day… Yes we’re pretty much alike ! Oh and when we are wearing perfume it’s only because we do love the smell of a perfume instead of the common soap that we use 😉
Cliché #5: French woman are really elegant.
Do you really think or maybe you want to talk about the Parisian woman ? Wow, well thank you ! But this is not the case all the time, we do have our bad looks and are not perfectly well dressed all the time. Go and have a look in the Parisian metro or simply everywhere else in France but Paris, you will see some very good specimens of bad taste too ! Oh and about French manicure, none of my friends’ got one…. 😉
What about the others clichés ? Well I can’t really remember them, oh yes of course, do we eat snails and frogs ? I can only speak for myself but I think I’ve tried “les cuisses de grenouille” (Frogs legs) once and I really didn’t like it. Ok I like snails sometimes but only if it’s really well cooked but it’s not something we ordinary eat, same thing about eating wild boar ! Maybe if you’re living in the country side and that you’re a hunter, you will be more able to ear wild boar more often, but we are still far way from Asterix and Obelix…
If you’ve got some other clichés about France or any others country to share, don’t hesitate let a comment !!! 🙂
Great work. When I visited France we always picked up a baguette, some cheese and wine to have for lunch. Isn’t nice when we can laugh at ourselves. 🙂
I think it will be something that I will miss the most if / when I’ll leave France… good baguette and good stinky cheese 😉 I really like laugh about myself (or anything else… ), I don’t like to be too serious !! 😉 There is always a good way / funny things even in the worst situations, everything is about how to find it 😉
I couldn’t think anything cliche about French people. But the city, Paris, that I can. Two words come to my mind – Love and Fashion. 🙂
Fashion is definitely a part of this city ! 🙂 I have to admit that Paris could be so lovely when you’re in love !! 🙂
When I think of Paris the eiffel tower comes to my mind, along with the city of lights. For some reason the city of love in my mind is locked on Venice. I see Paris as the city of romance, and of course, fashion! Coco fashion!
I have a few cliches about French but I’m afraid to mention them as they seem wrong, but they always bothered the back of my mind. Haha.
I actually have heard from people whom visited France, mainly Southern France saying that the people were kind, knew some English, and were very helpful and polite. It is so drastically different in our country.
Venice is such a wonderful city !! I really loved it when I visited it ! 🙂 Paris could really be so romantic, specially when you know some places and the best hours to see how beautiful and romantic it is. But for me, I’ve still haven’t find love in the city “of Love” lol.
Don’t be afraid to mention the clichés that you have about France ! I think it’s pretty interesting and I really want to know them 😉 That’s a very nice way to see our country in a different point of view, so let’s do it and publish it 🙂
I’m from south of France, but living in Paris !! Where did your friends go to holidays ? French riviera ? There is lot of English people out there !! 😉 But mainly, where are you coming from ?!
The main cliché that comes to my mind is that the French (or Parisians, at least) can be… well… rude to tourists — especially those of us trying to learn French. When I was in Paris (for a brief 4 days), I did feel a distinct “We’re too busy to chat, so just tell us what you need and go away” sentiment. I suppose it’s probably the same for English-learners in New York City or London. It is especially intimidating when you don’t speak the language.
I also have to wonder if the fact that I’m American had anything to do with it. I realize that Americans have a reputation for being ignorant of other cultures, but what about Americans who are trying to learn about other cultures and languages? While I (an American who tries to speak some French) was somewhat of a novelty in, for example, Switzerland, in Paris I was an inconvenience or something.
What do you think? How would you react to an American tourist trying to speak French in Paris?
Incidentally, you write in English better than many native English speakers I know, both American and British. Well done!
Well I think you’re right about the fact to be -rude to tourits or even to others French people – thing ! I had this conversation with a co-worker a couple of days ago and it happens that French people, at least Paris, are not so nice when you’re trying to ask them for help ! There is nothing to do about tourists or nationality, it happens that Parisian are always in the rush and when you could ask them something it sounds more like “I don’t have any time to chat because, well you know, I’m just so busy, another metro / bus / to catch… so don’t even try to expect to have a conversation with me …. “. I know this is a shame !! And following my London / Venice / Florence / Prague… experience as a tourist, this is not the same that in Paris ! In London, everyone was so kind and nice, talk to me to know if I needed help !! I was even so surprised that I was wondering what’s wrong was going on with me ?! Do I seem to be in such a trouble that people wants to help me ?! Humm not at all… they are NICE and FRIENDLY !!! OH MY GOD ! Nice people really exists 🙂
Don’t worry, it’s nothing to do with being an American or any others country ! They are alike most of time with everyone, that’s sad I think ! But hopefully there is some nice people who are trying to help foreign people in their city ! There is always exceptions! 🙂
I remember too this conversation with friends about what do you prefer / understand the most, English accent or American accent ? Well everyone was responding me American accent ! I was actually the only one to prefer English accent… why because I’m more used to hear English accent, so I do understand it more easily and Ok I do have a crush on English people so for their accent too… but that’s just me 😉
Most of time, they used to watch / hear more American accent with films / Tv shows, so they do understand it better than English accent !
How would I react to an American tourist trying to speak French in Paris? Well, I will help him ! I know this is not easy to speak another language so I would made an effort to understand it (specially if he’s having a south’s accent as Louisianne or even worst for me… Texan’s accent ! lol ), I would just tell him to speak slower and clearly and manage to finally to communicate ! I do always try to help tourists whenever I can, but this is me, I want to be nice and Friendly 🙂
I love the way the French stick up for their rights. It made me smile when they decided to raise the pension age in France – was it to 62 and France came to a standstill.
they raise the pension age to 66 in the UK and there was not even a murmer!
Well done the “Frenchies”
🙂
PS yes, the French women are so chic and skinny. Considering there are soooo many delicious cake shops in France I can’t see how!
PiP
Sometimes standstill for our rights is a good thing but when it’s too often and for about everything or nothing, it just seems to be pointless and worst, who would listen to us anymore ? I guess Frenchies (mean me too!) should read more often the story about “Peter and the Wolf” 🙂
About French skinny woman, I’m still wondering how they are doing to stay so skinny !! Oh yes they don’t eat much… How can they resist with all this delicious chocolates… lol I do love eating too much to be skinny 😉