PesteNoire Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Can anyone tell me about myths or superstitions that are a part of French culture? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmelle Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 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 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingFairy Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 You are not allowed to own property in England because everything belongs to the Queen.English has no grammar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 [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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 ....it's bad luck to open an umbrella inside a house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessfou Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 [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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 but you English, you have burnt Joan of Arc.My response to that one is always that 'The English have always enjoyed a barbeque". Usually gets some interesting looks.[;-)]Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maricopa Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diablotine Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 It seems it's much more about Myths/Superstitions about French (the Waterloo is a good one - like it) [:D]! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 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] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVienne Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 yes me (the liver not the legs!!) must have got it while I was in France..........nothing to do with the wine though honest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owens88 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Possibly me (the legs not the liver). Must have caught it in France, though here the doctor is calling it FibroMyalgia (which might as well be Latin for 'I haven't a clue', separate story) not a vein problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 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."andDid 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] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [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] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I am sure Emily would be delighted to find out that her fat, unlike ours, can be recycled.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingFairy Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote user="chris pp"]The battle of Waterloo was only lost because Napoleon had piles and couldn't get on his horse.[/quote]I've heard it was because the French soldiers stopped to eat strawberries on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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