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French myths/superstitions?


PesteNoire
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Sure, some to go on with.

All snakes are dangerous.

Stag beetles are evil.

3 stings form a Hornet and you are dead.

The battle of Waterloo was only lost because Napoleon had piles and couldn't get on his horse.

Most French people are Catholic and therefore "caring" unlike people from the UK that are mainly Protestants.

The UK has no social services.

Chris

 

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French men are great lovers .

Wrong !

English men are bad lovers .

Wrong too !

English men are very polite .

Wrong  .( Chesterfield said that French men were the most polite )

Wrong too .( Now )But I don't know for the past . 

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  • 2 weeks later...

All English have a great sense of humour and are phlegmatic. (l'humour anglais, le sang-froid anglais).

In London, there is either smog all the time, or it is raining.

Which is why all Englishman wear a bowler hat, and carry an umbrella.

It is not normal to eat cheese after pudding.

La cuisine anglaise est dégueulasse.

 

 

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How's it going 5 elements?

I can assure you that all the items that I listed have been said to me more times than I can remember by French people, plus of course remarks about the hundred years war....

I keep explaining that it's finished.[8-|]

Chris

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It's going fine, Chris, thanks. Glad you brought upthe 3 hornet stings, because, everyone knows that it is true.[;-)]

I didn't know the one about Waterloo...but you English, you have burnt Joan of Arc.

Castles are, generally, haunted. All the ones in Scotland are.

 

 

And what kind of things bring bad luck in France? (There must be loads, but I can't think of many at the moment)

*Bread put on the table the wrong way up.

*Salamanders (very sorry about that Chris, as it horrifies me too) are evil, and you must throw them live into a fire. I did meet someone who believed that.[:'(]

Otherwise, the classics like walking under a ladder, crossing knives, and many more.

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[quote user="5-element"]And what kind of things bring bad luck in France? (There must be loads, but I can't think of many at the moment)[/quote]

top of my head...

It's bad luck to whistle indoors.

It's bad luck to put money on a bed.

It"s bad luck to put a hat on a bed or on a table.

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When we moved over to France permanently, we brought our two pet rabbits with us.  We tried to book Brittany Ferries, but we couldn't book the rabbits on the vessel. I phoned their customer service to enquire why, and was told it was considered bad luck by French crews to have rabbits onboard.  Indeed, if they knew they were onboard, they crew would refuse to sail.  Appently, back in the days of wooden ships, one was sunk with the loss of all hands after rabbits chewed through the hull.  We managed to move over with LD Lines in the end.
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[quote user="chessfou"][quote]but you English, you have burnt Joan of Arc.[/quote] Only because the French* sold her to the English for 10,000 Livres.

* blame it on the Burgundians if you like.[/quote]

Many French people don't like to hear that, although it is the truth.

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Friday the 13th is considered a lucky day to buy a lottery ticket.

It is possible to suffer from les jambes lourdes (heavy legs) and/or la crise de foie (crisis of the liver).  Ever met anyone from any other country that suffers from these?

Duck fat is good for you. [blink]

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I will have to stop you right here, Cat:

Duck fat IS good for you, FAT:

"what many are unaware of is the health benefits to duck fat. Duck fat contains 35.7% saturates, 50.5% monounsaturates (high in linoleic acid) and 13.7% polyunsaturated fats.(Which contains Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential oils). This compares to olive oil which is: 75% monounsaturated fat (mostly oleic acid) 13% saturated fat and 10% Omega-6 linoleic acid and 2% Omega-3 linoleic acid. The main difference between chicken, turkey and duck is that duck contains more linoleic acid, which chicken and turkey contain a higher amount of polyunsaturated fats. It appears that duck and goose fat is more like olive oil than it is like butter or beef."

and

Did you know:

Duck fat has a higher percentage of mono-unsaturated fat than saturated fat. Mono-unsaturated fats can help to lower levels of blood cholesterol.

Duck fat actually contains a lower percentage of saturated fats than butter and some plant oils such as palm kernel and coconut.

Duck fat has a has a high smoke point, which means you can cook it to very hot temperatures without it smoking or adopting an off flavor. And unlike butter or olive oil, duck fat can be recycled."

It's written in English, so it's not a French myth![:P] 

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[quote user="5-element"]
Duck fat IS good for you, and you can cook it to very hot temperatures without it smoking or adopting an off flavor. And unlike butter or olive oil, duck fat can be recycled."
[/quote]

I'm not sure that this is a tactful subject to discuss where it might be read by Emily, though she might have more tung oil than fat[Www]

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