Concierge. Chignon. Soirée. Saying things in French just makes you seem so fancy, right? Hate to break it to you, Nancy’s, purveyor of fine frozen foods, but your use of “petites bites” isn’t what you think it means. Because the French translation of this is “little dicks.”
Little dicks, big compliments? Well, that’s one way of saying size doesn’t matter.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn is crying into his champagne: politicians are considering a ban on prostitution in France. The law would make it illegal to pay for sex, punishing johns with six month prison sentences and $4,000 fines. Currently a john will only be punished if the prostitute is underage or “particularly vulnerable,” such as from illness; pimping is also illegal. Keep reading »
Growing up, my mother always decorated our home in a Provençal fashion, so I have an inborn love of the elegant style. I’m also infatuated with the idea of a French kitchen, though my culinary skills are limited to microwavable rice in a packet. In my opinion, there is no culture more inspiring than the French. I’ve never been to France and I don’t know many French people, so my idea of the country is more of, say, an educated approximation than a real understand. But so what, I say. Whether you’re making a bowl of cereal or a delectable coq au vin (in which case I will be right over), you can have a touch of the blue, white, and red in your home too with these dining and kitchen wares. Let that le drapeau tricolore fly!
Apparently even French mothers have trouble answering the question “gay or European?” A new smartphone app offers French mothers a questionnaire to help figure out if their sons like sticking their French bread in a warm, buttery croissant … or not. The $2.69 app asks 20 questions which inquire whether their bébé mimics gay stereotypes like enjoying show tunes, dressing well, and eschewing sports. Somewhat more controversially, some questions assume it’s the parents’ “fault” a child is gay, like asking if he had an absent father or the mother was authoritarian growing up. If the questionnaire assesses mama‘s crisply dressed, show-tune loving frog is gay, it tells her to “accept it.” But if he’s just a little, uh, European, the questionnaire reads, “You have nothing to worry about, your son is not gay. So you have a very good chance of being a grandmother with all the joys that brings.” How sensitive. [RFI.fr via The Awl] Keep reading »
There is a huge difference in French between “merci beaucoup” (thank you very much) and “merci beau coup.” We’re not sure if Urban Outfitters realized this when they decided to sell this shirt—although, we wouldn’t put it past them considering their past attempt to casually sell t-shirts reading “Eat Less.” If you’re not well-versed in modern French vernacular or slang, you might not realize that the visual split-up of the words “beau” and “coup” denotes a subtle innuendo. While the word “coup” has several meanings in French, it can describe someone you’ve had sex with. “Un bon coup,” means “He/she is a good f***.” A “beau coup” can therefore mean that the person you’re referring to is handsome. So, essentially, your t-shirt reads: “Thank you, hot man who f***ed me.” [Urban Outfitters] Keep reading »
You believed French women looked gorgeous naturally, didn’t you? Quel suprise! Airbrushing is causing unrealistic body images and encouraging eating disorders, said a French politician on Monday as she proposed warning labels on digitally enhanced images. Parlimentarian Valerie Boyer and 50 other French politicians want a “health warning” on airbrushed pics. All enhanced photos would be accompanied by this line: “Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person.” Under the proposal in France, a company that didn’t include the warning on their retouched ads would be slapped with a trés mal fine of a $54,930, or up to 50 percent the cost of the advertisement. The French proposal comes on the heels of a suggestion by British pols for warning labels of their own. But what we want to know is how long until such a proposal comes to the States, where we just love our Photoshop? (And can you imagine what Anna Wintour would have to say about it?) [Yahoo] Keep reading »
The French have every right to be proud of their national cuisine, and have no problems boasting of its glory. So much so that the country’s post office has just come out with a chocolate-themed stamp collection to celebrate the key ingredient (are you dreaming of rich, flaky chocolate croissants yet?). Designed to look like a fancy bar of chocolate, the limited-edition stamps are also scented! Sending love letters can be even sweeter now.
So what would happen if the USPS decided to make a scratch n’ sniff stamp collection honoring American cuisine? Hot Pocket-flavored mail? [SecretsOfParis.com] Keep reading »
It’s Bastille Day, France’s 4th of July! Sure, America rocks, but as far as countries go, there’s no denying that France constantly offers up different cultural points of view that we love to pick on (or be jealous of). Of course, there are the men, and the food, but most of all, there’s the fashion. And with Audrey Tautou’s flick, “Coco Avant Chanel,” about to debut in the U.S., classic French style seems to be on everyone’s mind. So, as The Frisky’s resident Francophile (I lived the romantic life in Paris for a bit), I thought I’d offer up what I’ve learned about their style commandments, and how to avoid looking like you have a red light that says “American” flashing over your head should you ever make the trip. Fitting, n’est pas? Keep reading »
news
The Soapbox: Why Jezebel Was Wrong To Post Images Of A Woman Being Raped |
relationships
10 Played-Out Online Dating Messages That Guys Send Women |
health
I Have ADD |
|
guys
Ask A Dude: Does He Want His Ex Back? |
|
entertainment
Inside Demi Moore’s Devastating Post-Marriage Meltdown |
