Il y a longtemps que notre pays est beau mais rude.
--Newspaper editor Olivier Séguret, 25 January 2012
The USA are entirely the creation of the accursed race, the French.
--Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), writing to Nancy Mitford, 22 May 1957
The mayor of Calais is suing Marine Le Pen of the Front National for saying "repeatedly" that citizens in Calais need a pass issued by the mayor to get to their own homes (because of the number of migrants in the town). In fact, the passes are issued by the police prefecture.
"À nous de vous faire préférer le train!"
"Voyager autrement"
"Avec le SNCF, tout est possible"
--Former ad slogans of the SNCF (French national trains), each in turn quickly dropped
(literally: marmoset)
Etymology: onomatopoeia from the sound a marmoset makes. Actual meaning: this is what you say in France when you want people to smile for the camera.
Selon une étude réalisée par le fabricant d’appareils photo Nikon, le « ouistiti » utilisé en France au moment de se faire prendre en photo est le petit mot le plus efficace pour s’assurer un joli sourire.
Private sector
First strike in 43 years at an aeronautics company in Toulouse, Latécoère
Public sector
The SNCF (toujours eux), regional train employees in the Lyons area guaranteeing unpleasant travel from the 17th-21st December
Also yet another strike by Sud-Rail, a particularly truculent SNCF union in the south of France, this time five days in January: 6,7, 21, 22 and 23. "We have no choice." Right.
Marseilles trams on strike until February
« Onze septembre, ten years ago | Main | French titles in the DVD store »
Trying to find a common theme here. I think it's just that it's hard to imagine another country's name being used so much to persuade you to buy something. "Creamy German dressing"? "Decaf British roast coffee"? "Country-style Belgian fries" (which would be more authentic)? "Canadian manicure"? A magazine called "Country Dutch"?
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In Paris, the purest virtue is the object of the filthiest slander.
–Honoré Balzac (1799-1850), in Scènes de la vie privée
À Paris, la vertu la plus pure est l'objet des plus sales calomnies.
Annual Geminids meteor shower (shooting stars!) coming this weekend, if it's not too cloudy out at night.
Keith Eckstein also has a new book review site, Books About France
Ha! I an surprised all of these were not renamed (you know, like "Freedom Fries") back in 2003! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
Posted by: Veronique Savoye | 13 September 2011 at 06:59
Just discovered your blog. I find it amusing how they place so many French this and French that on things here in the US. At the Atlanta flea market a few weeks ago, there was a painting, with a label saying “sold.” It was a flower, in black, with a background of La Tour Eiffel, and in a nice script was written “Le Fleur.” Going through so much trouble and not checking whether it is la fleur or le fleur? That happens a lot – at my grandson’s preschool was a panel “La Petite Café” I told them to correct it. But then in Paris I saw so many tee-shirts in English. I tried to find a baby outfit with something written in French – very difficult or almost impossible since everything is in English – only Le Petit Bateau had something in French (it took me 3 days to find that.)
Posted by: Vagabonde | 15 September 2011 at 05:35
I actually did a post a while back on how hard it was to find French-language t-shirts in English. It's still true, unfortunately. Market gap there as most Americans don't want to bring back an English-language Paris souvenir.
http://www.ruerude.com/2006/06/anomalies_of_fr_3.html
Posted by: Sedulia | 15 September 2011 at 20:18
'Way back in 1987, my then-teenage daughters were most disappointed not to be able to find French language t-shirts. They scored better in Hong Kong with tees decorated with weird non-English (one said something like "Let all bicycle new!").
Posted by: chrissoup | 16 September 2011 at 03:21