# Things I \*LIKE\* about the damned French **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 27, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917 "2004-11-27T21:28:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/61 "2004-11-30T11:35:43Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I don’t even get why anyone would call them the “damned French”. Most of the things Americans seem to dislike about them can pretty much be found in the USA. Things I _hate_ about the damned French would be a whole other thread. Suffice it to say that they give the impression of waiting to see which way the US votes on Security Council matters and then vote the opposite, more out of intransigence than any principled stand. (I have no cite to back this up, it’s just an impression I get from watching too much Fox News.) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/62 "2004-11-30T13:31:51Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > (I have no cite to back this up, it’s just an impression I get from watching too much Fox News.) Of course, you can’t. In the past 20 years, France has used its veto 3 times, versus 38 for the US. Those three times were: 23-Dec-1989 vote cast by France, UK, and USA 11-Jan-1989 vote cast by France, UK, and USA 21-Apr-1986 vote cast by France, UK, and USA Well, look on whose side they voted. As a matter of fact, you need to go back to 1976 for France vetoing solo, and that was related to French internal matters (the independance of the Comoros). If you go back to 1956, France actually vetoed a proposition by the United States regarding Palestine. But lo and behold, the UK also voted with them. So, with the exception of one day, October 30th 1956, France has never vetoed any US proposition and has overwhelmingly used its veto alongside the US. Source: [United Nations document A/58/47](http://ods-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/417/02/PDF/N0441702.pdf?OpenElement). (Warning: pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/63 "2004-11-30T14:42:07Z")
Je vous donne [Le Petomane](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_394.html)!!! ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/64 "2004-11-30T15:00:48Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Je vous donne [Le Petomane](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_394.html)!!! Et aussi mes braves; Monsieur Mangetout [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9806/11/fringe.mr.eat.everything/](http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9806/11/fringe.mr.eat.everything/) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/65 "2004-11-30T15:09:45Z")
> [@](#): > > It was the Normans who defeated the Anglo-Saxons… you should also give at least partial credit to the Scandanavians for the victory. > Charlemagne was a Frank–a Germanic tribe. Napoleon was a French-speaking Corsican which, ethnically, is probably closer to Italian than French. True, as is the fact that Mme. Curie was Polish, but how many U.S. heroes are ethnically native Americans? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/66 "2004-11-30T15:43:41Z")
Regarding the France vs England/Britain military thing I would point out that Corinthian Casuals have won the FA cup and once provided all the players for the England team. They also wiped the floor with Woolwich Arsenal on a fairly regular basis. But it didn’t last did it? For French military read Old etonians football team - good a long time ago - rubbish since. I am very fond of Toulouse sausages though. ---
**Author:** ![robz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@robz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/67 "2004-11-30T16:57:38Z")
Inspector Clouseau 😃 ---
**Author:** ![robz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@robz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robz)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/68 "2004-11-30T17:05:30Z")
Story of O ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/69 "2004-11-30T20:16:44Z")
Fountain pens! I’m a Waterman man myself, but aspire to Montblanc one day. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/70 "2004-11-30T20:38:04Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > > [@Krokodil](#): > > > > (I have no cite to back this up, it’s just an impression I get from watching too much Fox News.) > > Of course, you can’t. Demonstrating once again that watching Fox News causes brain damage. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pyrrthon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@pyrrthon1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyrrthon1)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/71 "2004-11-30T21:02:21Z")
One word: Alizee [1](http://www.wepsite.net/haegar/A/Alizee%2013.jpg) [2](http://koti.mbnet.fi/ullex2/alizee/alizee1.jpg) [3](http://tw.music.yahoo.com/express/pic/alizee.gif) [4](http://www.maverdigitalarts.de/MaverScan/alizee.htm) ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/72 "2004-12-01T14:48:17Z")
She’s bonny enough, but French pop-music has no place in a pro-france thread. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/73 "2004-12-01T19:42:57Z")
If I may hijack this into **Things I _LIKE_ about the damned English** , I gotta say that the word “bonny” is way up there on the list. ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/74 "2004-12-01T21:43:17Z")
Francis Cabrel Les Enfoirés Ham sandwiches on half a baguette with lots of mayo Petits pains Colouche Baguettes and bakeries every few feet. Patisseries too. Auchan (ok so it’s basically a super Wal-Mart but it was wonderful!) Pate lardons le TGV and Carte 12-25 Paris Giverny Rouen Lille Valenciennes the wonderful people that made my year there so much fun Kro- a crappy beer but it was always on special whiskey-coca Jean-Jacques Goldman Noel Ensemble So many happy things there. ---
**Author:** ![archmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/archmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/75 "2004-12-01T22:59:27Z")
Catherine Deneuve Sophie Marceau Isabella Adjani Anne Parillaud, but only in La Femme Nikita pate Daft Punk The Umbrellas of Cherbourg All those English words with a soft ‘j’ “Wiping your ass with silk” ---
**Author:** ![pyrrthon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@pyrrthon1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyrrthon1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/76 "2004-12-01T23:12:55Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > She’s bonny enough, but French pop-music has no place in a pro-france thread. It’s really only her “bonniness” that is like. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/77 "2004-12-02T08:21:27Z")
Another thing we can blame of the French…didn’t the concept of superstores (“hypermarkets”) come from France! So we can blame all the job losses, low wages, etc., on France! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/78 "2004-12-02T09:49:27Z")
I’ll second Alizee and Sophie Marceau. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917/79 "2004-12-02T11:08:51Z")
I love the goddamn French for being so goddamn French. & thank god for French chicks. Nothing in the world so sexy as a petite French kitten meowing with that little sexy French accent of hers. French pop & rock sucks bad. Not so bad as Italian or Spanish, but then Attila the Hun wasn’t as evil as Satan. But deep down in my shameful pop-heart I kinda liked Kate Ryan & her Desenchante. Bonus link: [http://photos1.blogger.com/img/95/2036/640/french\_label.1.jpg](http://photos1.blogger.com/img/95/2036/640/french_label.1.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-i-like-about-the-damned-french/276917.md?page=3)