what do english people think of the french?

Question

(excluding any negative stuff and the common belief that we eat frog's legs)

Answer 1

Many British people dislike the French....
I am very different.
I have travelled in lots of parts of France and have ALWAYS been made very welcome in shops, bars, restaurants...everywhere.
I think the French are a warm, friendly and very proud set of people...except in paris, where, just like in London, people don't have time for you.

Answer 2

The French have a lot to be proud of and though I can't tell you what the 'English' think (I'm not a great fan of generalisations and am fed up with coming across the same old prejudices and cheap snipes here) I can tell you some of my reasons why I love the French:
1. You have managed to hold onto and celebrate your regional cuisines. You take a pleasure in food that England lost over time (thought: maybe the austerity probably started with Cromwell?).
2. From Poussin and Chardin in the 17th C through to Cézanne and Matisse in the 20th C you exerted a major positive influence on the course of European painting.
3. In literature, drama and music you have a rich variety of characters: Molliere, Flaubert, Sartre, Camus, Berlioz, Debussy.
4. In sculpture: Carpeaux, Rodin, Degás
5. In cinema directors such as Goddard, Chabrol, Carax
6. Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Binoche, Sophie Marceau, Catherine Deneuve
7. París - the inexhaustible city
8. Aix-en-Provence - all lavender and sunlight
9. The chanson
10. The terrace.
Of course we've got lots of good stuff too, and both countries could swap notes over some black pages in our histories, but hey - let's acknowledge the good stuff today! :-)

Answer 3

The English secretly find the French rather dashing. Deep down, they admire the French cuisine and buy baguettes, croissants, Camembert and Brie, together with choice French wines, in huge amounts when visiting France or the local supermarket back home. If there is a substitute for champagne to mark any great event in their lives, they have yet to find it. They adore French fashion and think that Paris is the last word in chic. They sleep under duvets at night and wake up to a bracing cup of cafe au lait, although they haven't adopted the habit of drinking it out of a bowl. Because they can't get their tongues round the accent when learning the language, they take a leaf out of Churchill's book and try to sound as English as possible, as if to cover up their sneaking admiration for France and the French. They name many things in French terms: French doors, French leave (which the French call filer a l'anglaise!), French plait, French letters.... and are very proud of their tradition of tennis, a French game. On the football and rugby fields they are able finally to give vent to their general frustration at their ambivalent attitude of admiration blended with exasperation, which they do vociferously. Here, at least, they can display their superiority!

Answer 4

Generally speaking I think that English people have better things to do than think of the French. Because of our history, going right back to William the Conqueror, the Normans, Plantagenets, Napoleon, etc., the French are not popular with the English, which is probably one of the reasons few have bothered to learn the French language properly.

Answer 5

Well, this is interesting to me because I think I have a romantic ideal of France (I am an artist and have started including French quotations in my paintings) which is somewhat removed from the reality of modern France.

I think that perhaps (like alot of other European countries) France is largely more middle class than England. On the one hand there is more cultural awareness and appreciation of food, socialising etc, but on the other hand there is more segregation and racism compared to England.

These are my first thoughts, and I do not necessarily hold by them as being absolutely true.

I also predict alot of retarded answers to this question from idiots.

Answer 6

I am british and have lived there for many years and I reckon the french are very partisan, sociable and not afraid of being human. I find the french a lot more transparent, honest and easy going. They are also not afraid to show their weaknesses, so they are more comfortable with their way of being which makes them less concerned with what others are like and less influenced by the media especially as teenagers. they're just different!

Answer 7

excluding negative? Well you're our closest neighbour apart from Ireland, so of course we enjoy taking part in friendly sporting competitions with you (and winning). We find you very "european" which many of this country's anti-EU extremists have a problem with, and they also try to blame you for not stopping immigrants arriving on our shores via your country. On the positive we think you're very cultural, you stand up to america better than us which we wish we did more often and your school system is rather good.

Answer 8

I think this is an inborn suspicion of a country which has always been our enemy; in-fighting between the two countries has been going on for centuries, and as such is showing now in negative attitudes. However, as the French dislike the British so much, its just tit-for-tat!!

Answer 9

Most english men I know call the french 'cheese eating surrender monkeys'
There is also the belief that the ladies in France don't shave their pits!

of course it's not true!

Answer 10

well I'm not saying all french people are like this
but certainly when I went to parc asterix with some people in my school, the french there (especially the teenagers) were so bloody rude just bloody staring at us and laughing at us all the time. I just wanted to ******* hit them. really hard.
but yeah, disneyland was a better experience, didn't get any horrible remarks there. just in parc asteric because it was jam packed with all these 18 year olds stuck up their own asses showing off all the time, it was pathetic. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY STARTED FOLLOWING US AND COMMENTING ON THE SIZE OF MY FRIEND'S BREASTS.