When did calling someone French become an insult?

[Bengal]

I've been wondering this. You see it a lot, even on this board. So why is that such an insult?

They elect leaders regardless of their personal life. They could care less...
They have one of the best health care systems in the world...
They really believe in privacy, not just say they do...
And best of all, they didn't buy the propaganda that was spewed that got us into the Iraq war...

I've been to France a few times. Nice country. Sure the people can be somewhat snobby. How much of that is true Anti-American sentiment or they just don't like what we are doing right now is hard to say...

I was talking to a British friend of mine and I asked him what's the biggest insult you can call a Brit. He answered, "An American". So maybe it goes both ways...

So I'm just wondering why some people use french instead of dumbass or dipshit or whatever. Doesn't make any sense to me...

And before some of you get on the redneck soapbox and tell me if it's so much better there, then move there. Point is, they don't want us. It's becoming harder and harder for an American to get working Visas in other countries. Wonder why that is...

[Argos]

I've spent a lot of time there. It's a great country.

Why wouldn't some of them be snobby assholes? You rarely hear French people talking stuff about Americans (at least not in public), but the trash here are always talking shit about the French.

[horns666]

It's only an "insult" when you are not afraid of the person calling you a certain word.

I call people anything I want , and I never hear shit. I'm sure they complain like a motherfucker behind my back..but who cares.

Fuggums...

[GodOfRhythm]

It's only an "insult" when you are not afraid of the person calling you a certain word.

I call people anything I want , and I never hear shit. I'm sure they complain like a motherfucker behind my back..but who cares.

Fuggums...

I'd break your nose and put you in a sleeperhold.

[Guitardude86]

I'd break your nose and put you in a sleeperhold.

Check out ET there, he's got an Extra Testicle!:ROTF:

[Rsmacker]

They elect leaders regardless of their personal life. They could care less...

They really believe in privacy, not just say they do...

The two statements above are conflicting. When the US President blows his beans all over an intern's dress, and the press find out, you get to hear about it. The French press are FORBIDDEN by law from publishing any little titbits of info about their political leaders, like who they are boning, their financial dabblings etc etc. Maybe they wouldn't vote for candidates if they knew exactly what kind of bastard they were.

Why is being called French an insult? Weeeeell, to quote that great thinker of our time, Homer Simpson, they are "cheese-eating surrender monkeys". Yep, a nation of collaborators, perfectly happy to be working/living alongside/ruled by the Bosch, until those pesky Yanks (and Brits, Canucks, Aussies, etc etc) waded in there on D-Day and "liberated" them. Oh yes, of course they were all in the Resistance, bravely struggling Nazi tyranny........my arse!
They can blockade ports, riot and prevent anything moving now if you fuck with their E.U subsidies, but where were they in 1940? Walking home after shrugging their shoulders, that's where.

Traditionally our enemy, the French have never really given a flying fuck about anyone but themselves, but this is no bad thing. Perhaps if we here in Blighty were a bit more self-centred, we wouldn't have the most fuckable arse in Europe for any Johnny Foreigner looking for a handout.
We have always used the word "French" as a description of something unsavoury or unmentionable - condoms are "French letters", syphillis is "French pox" etc, it is an age-old phenomenon.

Personally, I'd love to go and live there, the property is dirt cheap, there is plenty of space, traffic is low, life is at a better pace all round. There are less scumbag foreigners roaming around - they know how to treat them there, possibly why they congregate at the gates of the Chunnel to get over here. But this leaves me with a dilemma, how can I go to a foreign land and become "another bloody foreigner"? I can't really, can I? Sooner or later they are going to kick off and start burning the foreigners out, and it would be wrong of me to go and become a problem in someone else's back yard because the rats have over-run my own. Yes, I can speak French, and would be quite willing to adjust to their way of life, but if I met a nice French bird (yes, there are a few, and they all love it up the wrong 'un!!) and had a family, my kids would be French. French????? That would be just too much for me to stomach.

Finally, always remember the words of that fine hero Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson - "You must hate the Frenchman as you hate the Devil himself".

Hurrah!!

[Bengal]

Rsmacker,
I don't see how those are conflicting statements. What I was refering to was the last election they had with 2 people who would be raked over the coals here in the US for their private life. The second was more of a jab at the Patriot Act than anything...

OK, France had some issues during WWII, but that was 60 years ago. OK, I get it. Next! I don't see the France of today to be anywhere near the France of the 30's and 40's...

Surrender Monkeys or not. They got it right with Iraq. That's all that can really be said about that...

[atomic charvel guy]

Alongside the U.S. ,Russia, China,U.K.,France is also among the largest arms traders out there . Gun runners are going to inherit the earth in the end,.

[atomic charvel guy]

Angel Kings are themost dangerous weapons out there, far more dangerous than nuclear war. (Angel Kings- AK47's)

[rjohnstone]

Alongside the U.S. ,Russia, China,U.K.,France is also among the largest arms traders out there . Gun runners are going to inherit the earth in the end,.

+1

[xenophobe]

And best of all, they didn't buy the propaganda that was spewed that got us into the Iraq war...

Umm... you do realize that a great deal of the "propaganda that got us into the war" was supplied by the French government, more specifically, that Iraq had centerfuges for refining plutonium?

The French were selling nuclear and computer technology to Iraq even though there was a UN sanctioned trade embargo...

And the French are also having their problems with Muslims... Riots in the streets in many metropolitan areas.

So your political boneheadedness is showing it's thick ignorance.

If you're going to politicize something, at least have your facts straight, because you'll look like a fucking moron if you don't.

[emperor_black]

heard on the radio...in a recent poll of "The people who complain the most" the french came out as the first. The least complaining were the irish if I am not wrong.

[Bengal]

Umm... you do realize that a great deal of the "propaganda that got us into the war" was supplied by the French government, more specifically, that Iraq had centerfuges for refining plutonium?

The French were selling nuclear and computer technology to Iraq even though there was a UN sanctioned trade embargo...

And the French are also having their problems with Muslims... Riots in the streets in many metropolitan areas.

So your political boneheadedness is showing it's thick ignorance.

If you're going to politicize something, at least have your facts straight, because you'll look like a fucking moron if you don't.

Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed...

It was not only the French who armed Iraq. Lets not forget our responsibility in that matter...

Most of the propaganda that came straight from Bushs mouth came from internal sources. Sure, we used some of the french "intellegence" to prove our point that we were not the only ones that got it wrong. But only from that standpoint. Do you really think Bush went to war because of French intellegence? Who's the moron now?

I was not saying anything about religious conflict. There is enough of that here as well. So I don't see your point on that one. Doesn't have anything to do with what I posted...

You still didn't answer my question. But I obviously touched a nerve in you. It's OK. they have meds for that problem now...

[charvelguy]

I don't know, I still kinda harbor a little animosity against them for aiding us in gaining our Independence from the Brits especially when I look at the value of the pound vs the dollar.

[ozzuk1]

Trouble is getting rid of saddam was a good adn correct thing to do however the actual reasons we went in there for werent right or were lies.

there was this thing on southpark about outhenaisia, well cartman wanted to pull the plug on kenny to get his psp, not the right reason, the other guys wanted to keep him in a vegitative state so he would stilll be alive not a good reason...

Plus it doesent help we have insurgents from other countries going into iraq and causing trouble for the citizens....

I wouldnt really see being called french as being a real insult though......

Still if we leave iraq we'll be in the wrong and if we stay there will still be extremist trying to ruin the democracy and wanting their full islmaic law world....

Owain