Show Notes for Episode 9: Are French People Rude?

Category: French Culture

Episode Highlights with Time Stamps

So, anyways, why ARE French people so rude?

• 1:30′ The difference between being polite and being friendly.
• 2:00′ How Americans have a rehearsed way to connect and French people don’t.
• 2:40′ French people are more private. Getting to be on a first-name basis and using “tu” with someone.
• 4:10′ French follow a protocol on who they can be informal with. How using “vous” sometimes can be a form of distancing one’s self.
• 5:10′ Where does French politeness come from? Its historical origins.
• 6:05′ How should visitor to France approach someone they don’t know in France.
• 8:00′ Strange places where you have to say “bonjour” in France. The doctor’s waiting room, the elevator (eeeeek!), small restaurants, etc.
• 10:05′ Saying “au revoir”, is that also mandatory?
• 11:00′ Public bus etiquette.
• 12:30′ Asian visitors love the fact that French people are procedural and very polite.
• 13:30′ Americans are spotted right away.
• 14:35′ Elyse and her mother visiting Carcassonne and the shocking thing that happened in a touristy jewelry store.
• 17:00′ The four words you must know in French: bonjour, au revoir, merci, and s’il vous plait. And maybe also “excusez-moi”.
• 18:35′ What IS wrong with us? We don’t stand in line. It’s possible to have something that will feel like a stampede at the movie theater for the best seat.
• 21:40′ People will cut right in front of you if they can get away with it. French people stand really close to one another in line and if you don’t they might think you’re not in line.
• 24:20′ Some exclusive stores on the Champs Elysées make people line up to get into the store so they can do better crowd control.
• 25:20′ New Yorkers understand French attitudes when it comes to being in a rush all the time.
• 26:40′ Try to use proper etiquette in the right countries. People will be really nice to you if you try a little bit.
• Conclusion: we hope we weren’t too unpleasant, we were trying hard!

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Category: French Culture