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oh yeah I agree it's laughable, but the rivalry is still there, and I think many French people still associate the English language with England and therefore the rivalry, probably a reason why many Frenchmen don't like the English language and don't want to be bothered with it especially in their own country, of course it's becoming less and less true as young people speak English much better now and watch TV series and movies in English, and English is increasingly being associated with the US rather than the UK.
Life could be worse. What if Australian English were the norm on TV?
However in our defence the French did exactly the same in regards to the English or the Les Rosbifs as we are known, and to be honest I just find the whole thing laughable.
There also was "Les Plum-Pudding", but maybe this has died out?
[quote=ryever;43849377]I was talking about England of course, the US has never been an enemy of France.
The English LOVE bashing our country, it's like a national hobby there.
A recent article bashing a new development in Paris in the Guardian A custard-coloured flop: the
In the meantime in France nobody cares about England[/QUOTE]
Nobody? I may not have a lot of friends in France, but the ones that I do like England. One did some schooling there and has nothing but fond memories and a love of English gardens.
Ah, I meant that most Italians probably speak English better than they speak French. Not that they are better at English than the French are. I have no opinion about that.
They are also better at speaking French than the French at speaking Italian, that's for sure.
In the meantime in France nobody cares about England[/QUOTE] I find it interesting that someone is squawking about a 70% tax rate in France. Before Bush 2, lots of people in the US paid close to that, or more. Doctors, lawyers, and other high-earning professionals paid around 65%, no special deductions or anything, and successful businessmen more. Yet those professionals and their families were still able to afford a comfortable lifestyle. It's those tax rates that paid for a functional infrastructure, science R & D, college grants and scholarships from the government, the space program, etc.
LOL - we didn't just confine it to the French, although the nastiest slurs were usually in relation to the French.
We also included the Dutch, Spanish and of course Germans, in relation to the Germans mainly childish stuff regarding being sausage munchers etc.
In terms of the Dutch, we created the term Dutch Courage.
Bravery acquired by drinking alcohol. Political and economic rivals during the 17th century, England and Holland fought a series of wars. English propagandists spread the rumor that Dutch soldiers and sailors developed the necessary nerve to fight only after drinking gin and other alcoholic beverages.
The Dutch haven't fared well in the English language. Other unflattering phrases are “Dutch treat/Go Dutch” (you pay for only yourself), “Dutch uncle” (a stern person, especially one who gave you a lecture you weren't happy about receiving), and “double Dutch” (gibberish) etc.
The terms Spanish Practices or old Spanish customs are United Kingdom expressions that refer to irregular or restrictive practices in workers' interests. Typically, these are arrangements that have been negotiated in the past between employers and unions
charming servers and ticket people who smiled at my very limited french. (yes, they helped) A couple of ladies at a neighboring table were enjoying dinner as we were sat down. Their plates looked wonderful and I asked them in French what they ordered. They happily told me and made suggestions slowly so we could understand. A group of teens who spoke no English helped us find the Brady Passage for some Indian. They were helpful and enthusiastic that we attempted to speak some French.
I was in Paris for a week and never had a problem with rudeness anywhere, of course most of my interactions with the French people involved me as a consumer with euros to spend.
Even when that wasn't the case, people were nice to us.
Just go to France and have fun! Talk French to the best of your ability and don't worry about it.
See the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and laugh about how there are 1,000 brides all taking pictures near the Eiffel Tower. Eat at a few Restaurants and see the place. Try to wear cool, trendy clothes, mostly in shades of gray and black and wear a nice hat or style your hair nicely. Try to fit in. That's all you have to do.
Speak Spanish, Italian and French. They like Internationals. They are notoriously blunt, but they are also honest. So ignore "rude" comments and listen to the honesty they are trying to convey. They don't realize they are being rude. Example: the woman who talked to that French guy. He was saying what he thought was honest. They don't know that speaking their mind is sometimes rude and obnoxious.
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