France is a very beautiful country with traditions that are dear to us (a little proselytism never hurts) but have you ever noticed that certain details do not exist elsewhere? Many French things surprise foreigners like the fact that there is beer at McDo or that we kiss 14 times a day. Sometimes it’s language tics that we think are universal when they only exist at home, it’s often French things that foreigners like more than us (like our moldy English accent for example ). We have grouped some points in this top so that you finally realize that we live in a unique country in the world.
1. Say “yeah” while inhaling
The inspired “yeah” is an absolutely unbearable tic of language. All French people hate this expression but end up using it without wanting to, at the turn of a sentence. There is no other language where you can speak while inhaling as if it were normal and that is probably a good thing.
2. Talking about the next meal as you leave the table
It’s something that shocks foreigners: you’re quietly enjoying a veal blanquette or a good pasta dish when you ask the people you’re eating with: “What are we eating tonight?” How about a McDo? “. Already finish what you have on your filthy gluttonous plate.
3. Roundabouts everywhere
The French have a passion for roundabouts and no one knows why. In France, there are roundabouts on every street corner, just for the delirium. We even have photos of the most unusual roundabouts in France.
4. The circumflex accent
Well, that’s not entirely true: the circumflex accent is used in about fifteen languages around the world. Despite everything, it appeared for the first time in the French language in the 16th century to replace a letter, very often the S as in hotel or hospital. Subsequently, it was also used to accentuate the pronunciation of certain vowels. Well, you’ll go to bed less stupid tonight.
5. Say “uhhh” when you don’t know what to say
Here’s a tic that only French speakers have developed: fill in the gaps in a sentence with a “euuuh” accompanied by a small vibration of the throat. Why this need to make noise? If you have nothing to say, shut up.
6. Our way of counting from 70
Who decided that you already have to do calculations just by saying the numbers? 70 is therefore 60+10, 80 is 4×20 and, worst of all, 90 is 4×20+10. Was it too easy to do like our Belgian friends?
7. The word “cow” in expressions
In France, we love cows a lot and we claim it. If we really like something, we say it’s “really good”. When something surprises us or takes us by surprise, we can say “Oh the cow! “. If I were slanderous, I could even say that the concierge of my building is a “cowhide”.
8. Onomatopoeias that mean nothing
Hop la, zut, pouf, boof, eh ben, houla… so many words that foreigners don’t understand and don’t know how to use at all.
9. The resistant grandfather in every family
“Ah, but didn’t I tell you that my grandfather was friends with Jean Moulin? Yes, I assure you. »
10. Eat the baguette croutons when leaving the bakery
11. Hate Paris
The whole world loves Paris, the Eiffel Tower and Café de Flore. Everyone, except the French who don’t live in Paris (the provincials, let’s call a spade a spade). From the point of view of the French, Paris is an open-air garbage can with people sulking and rents that cost more than all your organs put together.
12. Protest all the time
The French are known for their revolutionary side and it is quite normal, our national holiday still celebrates the storming of the Bastille. It is true that in France, we make the most of our right to demonstrate and that is quite normal.
13. Fighting over food
In France, food is sacred. Moreover, the debates that have been raging for generations still revolve around graille: Pain au chocolat or chocolatine? Sweet butter or salted butter? Milk before or after cereal? Wouldn’t we give a damn?
14. Get a kiss
Here is an ancestral and unbearable custom of our beautiful country: kissing. To everyone, even to people we barely know and sometimes several times a day. Even this good old virus will not have been enough to destroy this tradition, when there are plenty of reasons to stop kissing.
15. Play pétanque
And it’s very sad, we would like to have petanque at the Olympics
