# Reason #3497 to hate the French. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 2, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178 "2008-10-02T15:29:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/1 "2008-10-02T15:29:14Z")
[http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/the-world-does-not-love-the-irish-1479352.html](http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/the-world-does-not-love-the-irish-1479352.html) This sure put us in our place lol. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/2 "2008-10-02T15:49:39Z")
I need a reason? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/3 "2008-10-02T16:13:07Z")
You mean it isn’t just us they don’t like? It’s true they didn’t use to like the Germans but I thought that had pretty much blown over by now. **An Gadai** , is your Doper name something in Erse? And if so would you be willing to tell us what it means? Was Erse your first language? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/4 "2008-10-02T16:22:39Z")
His name means “The Thief” in Irish. “Erse” is an obsolete, and strongly disfavoured, term for the Gaelic language spoken in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/5 "2008-10-03T05:47:27Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > His name means “The Thief” in Irish. > > “Erse” is an obsolete, and strongly disfavoured, term for the Gaelic language spoken in Scotland. So “Irish” is the preferred term? I’ve heard that used by Irish people among other Irish, at least in one or two movies. For that reason I thought it might be one of those cases in which a word or name is used only by members of the group it relates to. For instance, Jewish people seem to use the term “Jewish” to mean what everyone else calls Yiddish. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/6 "2008-10-03T06:56:07Z")
Yes, it’s nearly always called “Irish”. In the North some will say “Gaelic”, and you might also hear “Gaelic” in the South when the context is such that calling it “Irish” wouldn’t make it clear that it was the _language_ under discussion (although even then you’d be more likely to hear “Irish language”), but by and large it’s “Irish”. Never, ever, ever “Erse”. On the article itself, it’s obviously way over the top, although there is a small point to be made which is that the behaviour of some Irish tourists abroad isn’t quite as charming as they think it is. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/7 "2008-10-03T08:29:10Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > On the article itself, it’s obviously way over the top, although there is a small point to be made which is that the behaviour of some Irish tourists abroad isn’t quite as charming as they think it is. Indeed. Therefore it’s usually best to ensure one is within reasonable proximity of a bunch of Brits on a stag do, and a herd of Americans. Then all will be forgiven and even the French will give Paddy a kiss on both cheeks.😃 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/8 "2008-10-04T07:26:58Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > Therefore it’s usually best to ensure one is within reasonable proximity of a bunch of Brits on a stag do, and a herd of Americans. Then all will be forgiven and even the French will give Paddy a kiss on both cheeks.😃 I’m not sure if you’re being facetious or not, but that’s exactly what I’m talking about. A lot of Irish are so desperate not to be perceived as English when they go abroad that they make a point of overemphasising their Irishness. Then, when they behave as badly as they often do, rather than excusing them because they aren’t English their hosts conclude that the Irish are just as bad as the English. Hence poll results like [this one](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2137729.stm) (read down a bit). Obviously, these are stereotypes that do not apply to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/9 "2008-10-04T18:13:51Z")
One thing I love is now matter how many spats us Anglophones may have with one another, nothing unites us all more quickly than a little France-hating. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/10 "2008-10-04T18:47:37Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > A lot of Irish are so desperate not to be perceived as English when they go abroad that they make a point of overemphasising their Irishness. Then, when they behave as badly as they often do, rather than excusing them because they aren’t English their hosts conclude that the Irish are just as bad as the English.. Well, then they are as bad as the English, aren’t they? I feel that I am slightly missing your point. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/11 "2008-10-04T21:43:36Z")
I don’t hate the Irish or the French and wish them both the best. I do however feel sorry for that harpe’s husband. What kind of bad karma did he have to end up in that hell? Poor guy.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/12 "2008-10-05T01:19:46Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > One thing I love is now matter how many spats us Anglophones may have with one another, nothing unites us all more quickly than a little France-hating. 😃 The _hilarious_ France-hatred is certainly a quick and handy way to identify a moron. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/13 "2008-10-05T06:30:43Z")
> [@Usram](#): > > Well, then they are as bad as the English, aren’t they? I feel that I am slightly missing your point. The point is _they_ think they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/14 "2008-10-05T22:10:12Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Y > **An Gadai** , is your Doper name something in Erse? And if so would you be willing to tell us what it means? Was Erse your first language? Erse is an archaic term as Ruadh has kindly explained and it does indeed mean “The Thief”. Irish wasn’t my first language and I’m not fully fluent although I’m trying. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/15 "2008-10-05T23:32:32Z")
In my experience, everyone _does_ love the Irish, and the only nationality you can openly hate are the Mexicans. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reason-3497-to-hate-the-french/466178/16 "2008-10-05T23:46:10Z")
I went to France on holiday recently. Despite being a person who knows that stereotyping nationalities is a bad thing I went fully expecting to be met by rudeness everywhere. I was quite surprised. I did not meet a single rude French person. The one with whom I had the most interaction was quite apologetic for not knowing much English. It should have been I that was apologetic for not knowing much French.