# Do French waiters resent being called "garçon"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598 "2009-09-26T01:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/1 "2009-09-26T01:20:19Z")
I’ve been told yes, and so would I. Resent being called “boy” in the same situation. Do french people routinely call waiters “garçon”? What would be the proper address? Good food, for sure. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/2 "2009-09-26T02:00:06Z")
No, but they resent you for not being French. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/3 "2009-09-26T02:21:02Z")
No. “Garcon” for a waiter, though it translates at “boy,” does not have the same connotations that the English word has. It is merely a name used to call a waiter and AFAIK, no one sees anything more in it. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/4 "2009-09-26T02:51:29Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > No. “Garcon” for a waiter, though it translates at “boy,” does not have the same connotations that the English word has. It is merely a name used to call a waiter and AFAIK, no one sees anything more in it. Unless the waiter is a she. Then you might get a lecture. That being said, it’s been a long time since I heard anyone call out “garçon !” in a restaurant. Most people just try to catch the waiter’s eye and say “s’il vous plaît ?” to sidestep the aforementionned problem. In my mind, garçon is reserved for those old fashioned/tourist traps restaurants and cafés where the formal black pants + white shirt + black waistcoat + white cloth over the arm attire is still observed. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/5 "2009-09-26T02:54:40Z")
Dunno, but some American waiters resent being called “waiter”. The term is server now. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/6 "2009-09-26T05:08:41Z")
The waitress in the diner you’re plotting to rob will say “garcon means boy,” if you call her that. ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/7 "2009-09-26T05:14:59Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Dunno, but some American waiters resent being called “waiter”. The term is server now. This still baffles me. Isn’t “server” a more degrading term? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/8 "2009-09-26T05:19:42Z")
> [@Stringer](#): > > This still baffles me. Isn’t “server” a more degrading term? But it has the advantage of being gender neutral. You see this in lots of professions now. Policeman/woman -\> police officer Fireman/woman -\> firefighter Mailman/femailman -\> mail carrier Waiter/Waitress -\> server I’ve noticed there are fewer and fewer actresses left. Everyone seems to be an actor now. Interesting that this profession went to the masculine form instead of something neutral like “performer.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/9 "2009-09-26T06:36:41Z")
And “flight attendant” has replaced “stewardess.” (I once heard someone use the term “male stewardess.”) ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/10 "2009-09-26T09:23:41Z")
No one calls a waiter ‘garçon’ in France. That would be totally old-fashioned and quite inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/11 "2009-09-26T10:05:48Z")
> [@Oukile](#): > > No one calls a waiter ‘garçon’ in France. That would be totally old-fashioned and quite inappropriate. So what do they call them? ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/12 "2009-09-26T10:42:43Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > So what do they call them? Do you want to know how we refer to serving staff or what you need to say to grab their attention? A waiter is a “serveur” (male) or “serveuse” (female) but you wouldn’t actually call them anything as such. Just like in other countries you’d either try to catch their eye with a hand movement or just say “Excuse me…” At a guess I’d say that garçon hasn’t been used as a term for waiter in at least over 50 years. Using it will more than likely result in you being ignored. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/13 "2009-09-26T14:09:27Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > But it has the advantage of being gender neutral. You see this in lots of professions now. > > Policeman/woman -\> police officer > Fireman/woman -\> firefighter > Mailman/femailman -\> mail carrier > Waiter/Waitress -\> server > > I’ve noticed there are fewer and fewer actresses left. Everyone seems to be an actor now. Interesting that this profession went to the masculine form instead of something neutral like “performer.” All that and we still have to choose between “he/she” and “they” when we don’t know gender. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/14 "2009-09-26T14:11:50Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And “flight attendant” has replaced “stewardess.” > > (I once heard someone use the term “male stewardess.”) Hell, I’ve heard them called “sky waitresses.” ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/15 "2009-09-26T15:03:41Z")
If they’re calling waiters servers now, then what do you call the people in restaurants that bring you your food, for such restaurants that do so? They’re the servers, and are distinct from the waiters. **Ponster** , I find your answer dissatisfying (even if it’s accurate). You really have nothing better to call out other than excuse me? In the 'States, you could say “excuse me,” but it’s not uncommon to just say “waiter” or “waitress,” and in low- to upper-mid establishments, you’d just call the waiter by their name (you know you can do this if they tell you their name). Then of course there’s the old standard “miss” or “ma’am,” but I don’t know how I’d call out a guy. Maybe, “buddy”? ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/16 "2009-09-26T16:18:00Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > **Ponster** , I find your answer dissatisfying (even if it’s accurate). You really have nothing better to call out other than excuse me? But why use something else when it works well enough? What I do is similar to what Ponstar said. if I want a waiter to come I catch their eyes, do a little hand sign and silently mouth (or call out, if they don’t directly look at me) “s’il vous plait!” or “excusez moi!”. But really, unless I want some more water or want to pay at the table, I have usually no need to call the waiter. My brother has been a waiter for 20 something years in a wide variety of places, I’ll ask him if folks call him garçon sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/17 "2009-09-26T16:25:50Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > If they’re calling waiters servers now, then what do you call the people in restaurants that bring you your food, for such restaurants that do so? They’re the servers, and are distinct from the waiters. “Runners”, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/18 "2009-09-26T16:29:00Z")
> [@Lazz](#): > > What I do is similar to what Ponstar said. if I want a waiter to come I catch their eyes, do a little hand sign and silently mouth (or call out, if they don’t directly look at me) “s’il vous plait!” or “excusez moi!”. But really, unless I want some more water or want to pay at the table, I have usually no need to call the waiter. Ja, that’s the proper way to do. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/19 "2009-09-26T16:53:24Z")
I usually say “doctor” as they frequently have PhDs. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598/20 "2009-09-26T17:48:19Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > If they’re calling waiters servers now, then what do you call the people in restaurants that bring you your food, for such restaurants that do so? They’re the servers, and are distinct from the waiters. Not all restaurants have them, but the one I worked in did and they were called expediters. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-french-waiters-resent-being-called-garcon/511598.md?page=2)