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What did Mr Hollande mean


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when he used the expression 'francais de souche' in a speech the other day? It has caused quite a polemique becaue it was used by the extreme right to describe 'pure bred Frenchmen', as opposed to others such as those of non- French origin, even if born in France. He was talking about the adolescents who smashed up a Jewish graveyard the other night.

As President of the Republic he should perhaps be more careful in his choice of words, in a time of rising inter-racial tensions.

But, what expression would used in English now to describe the group of youths? I suspect that saying something like 'pure bred British' might go down a storm.
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I have heard myself described several times as "Anglais pur souche" when being introduced to other people, better make that presented before Wooly gets too excited.

Actually I was uncomfortable to hear it as the people know nothing of my upbringing and parentage.

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I tried to reply to this last night, three times, and realised that you had thrown me with mentioning 'british'.  Personally I don't know anyone who says that about themselves. I say, I am english, and other friends who are irish, welsh and scottish, say that too.

I am wondering who would say 'british' about themselves, and what it says about their personal sense of identity.

I know the expression de souche, no idea where I heard it first, from people or tv.

And Hollande, what a pillock and a waffler....... and a great disappointment.

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I was not making a link between pied noire and the FN. But at the time of the Algerian war of independance the pied noir and the french right were against independance each for their own reason. However the right liked the term francais de pur souche so much, for obvious reasons, they adopted it as their own. Hence the discomfort in Mr Holland using it.

JFB

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