It's finally official: French kissing is now French. As of this year, it has finally made it into the French dictionary as its own word -- "galocher". French people are quick to point out that just because there wasn't a word for it before, it doesn't mean people didn't actually do it anyway.
But that begs the question: What other so-called "French" things are really French?
French Toast:
My aunt came to Paris and wanted French toast. It was remarkably difficult to translate, first of all. She tried "pain français" and "toast français" to no avail, since these translate in a French person's mind as simply French bread or plain old toast. What we call French toast is based on basically a bread-pudding thing the French make to use up stale bread. Hence the name "pain perdu" which means, literally "lost bread". While pain perdu is a real French thing, you rarely if ever, actually see it on a menu or in a bakery, and when you do, it's normally as a dessert, served with crème anglaise (English cream, which may or not be English).
French Dressing:
The sweet orange stuff that comes in a bottle and goes on your salad? Not French. (And, in my mind, not really dressing, either.) Actual French dressing -- as in the thing that usually covers the greens on your salad in a restaurant -- is a vinaigrette of oil and vinegar, maybe some Dijon mustard and herbs.
French Bulldogs, and while we're at it, French Poodles:
French bulldogs are bred from small, reject English bulldogs that came over with a wave of workers to Normandy in the 1800s. We almost never see French bulldogs here in Paris, though there must be some, somewhere, beyond this guy in his mariner shirt and beret. What we do see are a lot of Bichon Frisés, Shih Tzus, Beagles, and a few French Poodles, especially miniature, though these are not currently in fashion. These days, the main criteria for a Paris dog is that it's small, cute, and ideally fluffy. Or else, it's a Chihuahua.
French Braids:
Braids are called "traisses" here, and yes, the girls wear them, especially little girls and especially on the day they have swim class at school, when they have to put their own hair up into the swim caps. Mostly, they do not actually do French braids here but, rather, regular old braids à la Little House on the Prairie. Still, we do sometimes see (and do) French braids, and they are called, simply, "braids".
French Fries:
Gone may be the days of Freedom Fries, but French fries are here to stay. Yes, the French really do eat them. Of course, here they are simply called "fries". They are served at nearly every restaurant, with seemingly every meal. Okay, I exaggerate. But the point is, if you want a "steak-frites" (the classic meal of steak and fries), you won't have to look far. Most likely, any restaurant you choose will serve you fries. But not ketchup.
French Bread:
Of course it's French, but here it's just called "bread". The classic loaf that we call French bread can be ordered as a "baguette" which actually means stick (and, for example, is also used in the phrase "baguette magique" or "magic wand" and can also be used for "chopsticks"), and refers to the shape of the crusty bread, sticking out of its telltale paper bag.
French Press and, while we're at it, French Roast:
French roast is not actually French. It's just dark coffee that's named after the French, probably to invoke the romance of sitting in a café drinking coffee. Ironically, I am told by my most avid coffee-loving friends that French coffee is nothing to write home about. So, when they're using their subpar coffee beans to make their mediocre coffee, do they actually use a French press? I've never seen one, except the one at our own apartment that we brought with us from San Francisco. Pretty much everything here is espresso, made with espresso machines. So the French are not drinking French roast out of French presses, but rather Italian coffee out of Italian machines.
But that begs the question: What other so-called "French" things are really French?
French Toast:
My aunt came to Paris and wanted French toast. It was remarkably difficult to translate, first of all. She tried "pain français" and "toast français" to no avail, since these translate in a French person's mind as simply French bread or plain old toast. What we call French toast is based on basically a bread-pudding thing the French make to use up stale bread. Hence the name "pain perdu" which means, literally "lost bread". While pain perdu is a real French thing, you rarely if ever, actually see it on a menu or in a bakery, and when you do, it's normally as a dessert, served with crème anglaise (English cream, which may or not be English).
French Dressing:
The sweet orange stuff that comes in a bottle and goes on your salad? Not French. (And, in my mind, not really dressing, either.) Actual French dressing -- as in the thing that usually covers the greens on your salad in a restaurant -- is a vinaigrette of oil and vinegar, maybe some Dijon mustard and herbs.
French Bulldogs, and while we're at it, French Poodles:
French bulldogs are bred from small, reject English bulldogs that came over with a wave of workers to Normandy in the 1800s. We almost never see French bulldogs here in Paris, though there must be some, somewhere, beyond this guy in his mariner shirt and beret. What we do see are a lot of Bichon Frisés, Shih Tzus, Beagles, and a few French Poodles, especially miniature, though these are not currently in fashion. These days, the main criteria for a Paris dog is that it's small, cute, and ideally fluffy. Or else, it's a Chihuahua.
Bulldog photo from: http://www.womansday.com/home/craft-ideas/darling-diy-dog-costumes-18403
French Braids:
Braids are called "traisses" here, and yes, the girls wear them, especially little girls and especially on the day they have swim class at school, when they have to put their own hair up into the swim caps. Mostly, they do not actually do French braids here but, rather, regular old braids à la Little House on the Prairie. Still, we do sometimes see (and do) French braids, and they are called, simply, "braids".
French Fries:
Gone may be the days of Freedom Fries, but French fries are here to stay. Yes, the French really do eat them. Of course, here they are simply called "fries". They are served at nearly every restaurant, with seemingly every meal. Okay, I exaggerate. But the point is, if you want a "steak-frites" (the classic meal of steak and fries), you won't have to look far. Most likely, any restaurant you choose will serve you fries. But not ketchup.
French Bread:
Of course it's French, but here it's just called "bread". The classic loaf that we call French bread can be ordered as a "baguette" which actually means stick (and, for example, is also used in the phrase "baguette magique" or "magic wand" and can also be used for "chopsticks"), and refers to the shape of the crusty bread, sticking out of its telltale paper bag.
French Press and, while we're at it, French Roast:
French roast is not actually French. It's just dark coffee that's named after the French, probably to invoke the romance of sitting in a café drinking coffee. Ironically, I am told by my most avid coffee-loving friends that French coffee is nothing to write home about. So, when they're using their subpar coffee beans to make their mediocre coffee, do they actually use a French press? I've never seen one, except the one at our own apartment that we brought with us from San Francisco. Pretty much everything here is espresso, made with espresso machines. So the French are not drinking French roast out of French presses, but rather Italian coffee out of Italian machines.
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