# Can someone get that idiot Chirac something to eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 5, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153 "2005-07-05T17:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/21 "2005-07-05T18:00:32Z")
I’ve been to Paris many times, and tried to bumble along with my untutored French. I rarely, if ever, encountered any of the famous French snobbery. Most of the waiters/waitresses could speak some Enlgish, and they’d quickly say so if they could. And if by chance you get snubbed, just chalk it up to being part of the French experience. Kinda like being yelled at by a cabbie in NYC. It’s funny, **Airman** , because I have a good buddy who is an ex-military guy with pretty similar views to you. I was just telling him the other day, as we were watching the Tour, that he’d love it in France. As much as he loves to dump on the French (especially from a military point of view), I know he’d have a great time if he ever went there. I supspect you would, too. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/22 "2005-07-05T18:13:32Z")
Don’t know why it didn’t work before but here you go. Working linky [http://www.exile.ru/2003-October-02/war\_nerd.html](http://www.exile.ru/2003-October-02/war_nerd.html) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/23 "2005-07-05T18:17:17Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > … but I’m lost with what you are talking about when it comes to champagne and mustard. Dunno about mustard, but the French will only allow sparkling wine to be called Champagne if it comes from the actual Champagne region of France. Why **Airman** has a problem with this, I also dunno. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/24 "2005-07-05T18:18:06Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > So one a single idiot makes a comment and you lambast the entire populace? tough to figure out who the moron here is. > > As far as this surrender monkey bullshit, how about a nice cup of STFU from the War Nerd? > > [http://www.exile.ru/2003-October-02/war\_nerd.html](http://www.exile.ru/2003-October-02/war_nerd.html) > > Enjoy the education! > [@](#): > > The most glorious military history in Europe, possibly anywhere. Do you see what he cites as a glorious history? Christ, weren’t the Franks still comprised of Germanic tribes when they beat the Muslims? The best the French ever produced was a schizophrenic girl. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/25 "2005-07-05T18:22:50Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I’ve been to Paris many times, and tried to bumble along with my untutored French. I rarely, if ever, encountered any of the famous French snobbery. Most of the waiters/waitresses could speak some Enlgish, and they’d quickly say so if they could. I don’t know. In my one experience in Paris, I met a lot of snobbery. There were also a lot of great people, too. I think there were a lot of people as generally happy to see foreigners as there were those who let you know that your accent wasn’t quite right. (Lord help the poor schmuck who doesn’t try to mimic a Parisienne accent with those people.) I think it’s fair to say that it’s no more unforgiving to foreigners than NYC is. Certainly I’ve seen a lot of people in the US mock foriegners who can’t speak the language fluently. On the other hand, I do think that there is an art to the attitude in Paris that isn’t matched quite anywhere else in the world. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/26 "2005-07-05T18:24:26Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Do you see what he cites as a glorious history? Christ, weren’t the Franks still comprised of Germanic tribes when they beat the Muslims? The best the French ever produced was a schizophrenic girl. I think the important thing is he makes some compelling points, and that the French are just as much “pussies” as anyone else in military history. They’ve won some, and lost some. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/27 "2005-07-05T18:26:29Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Dunno about mustard, but the French will only allow sparkling wine to be called Champagne if it comes from the actual Champagne region of France. Why **Airman** has a problem with this, I also dunno. I suspected that was it, but I can’t understand why he would be upset about it. One wonders if he would be upset if the US threw a stink if some distillery in Lyons was producing “Kentucky bourbon” or “Tennessee whiskey.” ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/28 "2005-07-05T18:35:17Z")
Chirac is a turd and a half, but French people are mostly pretty good, shame they can’t seem to vote for a decent leader. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/29 "2005-07-05T18:36:31Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I think the important thing is he makes some compelling points, and that the French are just as much “pussies” as anyone else in military history. They’ve won some, and lost some. I think you miss the point. I don’t care how tough they are or are not. I’ll withdraw my comments about their military in the face of what you and **Neurotik** posted. But regardless, when someone says something like that and then does not trouble himself to apologize for such asinine comments he opens himself and his country up to the same types of stereotypical insults that he himself was responsible for saying. Chirac invited another fusillade of venom in his direction. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/30 "2005-07-05T18:39:06Z")
Seems like a lot of people just can’t take a joke these days. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/31 "2005-07-05T18:39:10Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > I think you miss the point. I don’t care how tough they are or are not. I’ll withdraw my comments about their military in the face of what you and **Neurotik** posted. But regardless, when someone says something like that and then does not trouble himself to apologize for such asinine comments he opens himself and his country up to the same types of stereotypical insults that he himself was responsible for saying. Chirac invited another fusillade of venom in his direction. Absolutely, positively agree about Chirac. The guy’s a total douche. Of course, he’s just trying to blame his failure to get the French people to ratify the constitution on the British and in order to get himself out of the fire. You really should read **Strange Victory** , though. It’s an excellent, excellent book and pretty easy to read. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/32 "2005-07-05T18:41:06Z")
I’ve been to Paris as well and the only problem I had was at a crepes restaraunt that didn’t list the price of soft drinks and charged like 8 francs a glass. They were preying on unsuspecting Americans like me. I learned my lesson. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/33 "2005-07-05T18:46:25Z")
“The food there is terrible; every mouthful is poison. And they give you such small portions, too!” Has M. Chirac ever eaten a good old British [faggot](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=179885&highlight=Faggots)? (Note: do _not_ click on the links in that old thread, they are now porn sites!!) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/34 "2005-07-05T18:51:41Z")
I think most people only care about the last 100 years for France’s prowess in war. France as been the most adversarial Nato member towards the US. Many if not most Americans (Yes, I mean US & Canada) feel we twice rescued there butts and maybe they should have been more thankful. {I know the last statement isn’t completely fair but I believe it is an honest opinion.} We share a common dislike of France with the UK, our closest ally by far. In doing so we inherited many of their prejudices. The Simpson’s Surrender Monkey joke was very funny to most of us, should not be treated to seriously. Our worst military blunder in the last 100 years was making the mistake of trying to correct the complete debacle in French Indochina. So our worst military action was inherited from these same French. All this said. French food is generally regarded as great and English food as bad. My personnel experience, having visited Scotland, England & France. France is good, Scotland is good, England is poor and Italy blows everyone away for good tasting food and variety. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/35 "2005-07-05T18:57:30Z")
One more thing, People in Paris were more rude the NYC. The rest of the Country the people were neutral to very nice. (I might not get the NYC rudeness thing as I was born in Bronx and always lived a short road trip from the City) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/36 "2005-07-05T19:12:44Z")
Dijon Mustard, probably. And Jeanne kicked ass. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/37 "2005-07-05T19:20:58Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Methinks London 2012 would taste pretty sweet to Blair right now. > > Don’t we have a Parisian here that might be able to offer some insight on what Chirac might have been trying to communicate and if something was lost in translation? **Clarobuscar** (sp?) I don’t think there’s anything to explain. He was making fun of the british cuisine and was overheard by some reporter. ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/38 "2005-07-05T19:25:57Z")
Actually, as a whole, English cuisine is on the upswing and French cuisine headed down. The best restaurants in England can stand toe to toe with to those in France. Although I think it goes overboard, check out the Money magazine article which rates 4 out of top 10 restaurants in the world as being in the UK. [http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/29/pf/goodlife/restaurants/index.htm](http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/29/pf/goodlife/restaurants/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/39 "2005-07-05T19:36:46Z")
You guys have it wrong. It goes: “The French only win when led by someone other than a Frenchman, or when most of the fighting is done by someone other than the French” Vietnam, Algeria, WWII: lost WWI: would have lost, saved by USA’s entry Franco-Prussian War: Lost Napoleonic Wars: untimately lost, successes were due to being led by a Corsican Hundred Years War: Was losing, saved by leadership of a Frenchwoman. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153/40 "2005-07-05T19:40:56Z")
> [@citybadger](#): > > Actually, as a whole, English cuisine is on the upswing and French cuisine headed down. The best restaurants in England can stand toe to toe with to those in France. Although I think it goes overboard, check out the Money magazine article which rates 4 out of top 10 restaurants in the world as being in the UK. > > [http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/29/pf/goodlife/restaurants/index.htm](http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/29/pf/goodlife/restaurants/index.htm) I agree with that. I had the most delicious meals in the UK. France was so-so. I think Chirac is a tad out of time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-get-that-idiot-chirac-something-to-eat/311153.md?page=3)