ekscrunchy

Thanks!!

I was taught that "toilette" was correct so I was confused. Also, although I understand that "Bon Appetit" is not to be said, I often hear waiters using this phrase. Is this only because I am a tourist? What would you say in this instance, nothing??

Cowboy1968

I thought that "bon appetit" can be used if you have been in charge of preparing or serving the food. Also when you are the host at home and serve your guests dinner. But not so much when you get served.
But I never thought much about it, I must confess..

Pvoyageuse

You are not supposed to say "bon appétit" during a formal dinner but you can say it at home !
The answer would be "merci" to a waiter, or else "merci, vous aussi".
And there is nothing wrong with asking for the "toilettes". What else are you supposed to say?

ekscrunchy

Thanks! I meant to ask if the waiter was incorrect by saying it, but now I understand, as he is kind of a host in a way..

elsiejune

JR, I haven't thought about that tongue twister in many years. Thanks for bringing a smile to my face. EJ

kerouac

That journalist doesn't seem to have learned much about the French in 5 1/2 years, but I suppose that living on rue du Bac is part of the problem.

bluzmama

I found the article entertaining. It does seem to be true that any time you run to the store while not looking your best, you will run into people you know!

socialworker

Thank you for posting this. It has been way too long since we have been to Paris!

Fra_Diavolo

I found Arielle extraordinarily good looking for a philosopher's companion.

Linda431

<i>I honestly don't know what she was talking about. I've never said anything other than &quot;Ou sont les toilettes, SVP?&quot;</i>

She was referring to the &quot;powder room&quot; in someone's home where you are a guest.

stokebailey

Some babes like brainy guys. I, to take a random example, am the wife and daughter of philosophers. And Marilyn Monroe thought Arthur Miller was cute, for awhile anyway presumably.

kerouac

Actually, Arielle Dombasle isn't as dumb as she looks (even though I quite despise her). She was born in Hartford, Connecticut and grew up in Mexico City (her grandfather was the French ambassador). Her artistic training was as an opera singer.

She claims to feel mostly Mexican whenever the question is asked.

Aduchamp1

I am impressed by those posters who without the benefit of sight, smell, and touch have divined that the pork leis around the butcher's neck dispalyed in a grainy newspaper photo were dry rather than wet sausages.

I am surprised that you failed to note that the butcher was the subject of loveless marriage and the sausages, wet or dry, were the symbols of an idealized realtionship.

When I read the intentionally light piece Sunday morning, I knew it would be roundly criticized, but could not figure out the exact reasons. Thank you Fodorites for being hypercritical of someone's musings.

J_R_Hartley

The sausages are wet sausages because they are wet sausages. They are clearly raw, floppy and shiny.

&quot;Also, although I understand that &quot;Bon Appetit&quot; is not to be said&quot;

Pish, tosh and piffle. You have to be really really uptight to go by than one, which most French use liberally

Before that, and well before that.

NO DAMN HATS at the table.
The fork is held in the left hand.
The mouth is closed when chewing.
You are having dinner in a restaurant, not declaiming a Greek Tragedy in an amphitheatre, so keep your damn voice down.
Coke or Pepsi or Doctor Pepper &quot;goes&quot; with nothing, so don't order it to accompany your food (truly barbaric that one)
Do not season your food prior to having tasted it.

Cholmondley_Warner

We're playing the frogs at footie in an hour. The shame is they'll win.

Also - for work purposes (honest!) I had to look up a picture of Carla Bruni and my anti-porn filter was turned off. Blimey. It made me come over quite unecessary.

Thanks God Cherie Balir never went in for that sort of thing.

111op

It was an interesting article. For what it's worth, I didn't find the story about the her in a jogging outfit pretentious.

Do people know what the rule about bon appetit is? Do people say something else instead? Here's another NYT article on this subject:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/fashion/11pside.html

WillTravel

This idea that French people never ask for nor use the toilet (no matter what term you use) arises in other literature too. For example, in Diane Johnson's novels, and some other woman's account (I think her name is Polly). It's supposed to be the height of gaucherie to acknowledge such a need, apparently.

What can I say - I saw French people entering and exiting such facilities when I was in Paris a few days ago.

J_R_Hartley

&quot;Guests would never touch food with their hands and would only shell shrimps with a knife and a fork,” said Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Rouvillois, the author of a book on the history of politeness in France. The hostess “was never congratulated for the dinner she held.” Talking about food was a taboo. “It was considered materialistic,” Mr. Rouvillois said.&quot;

I rest my case.

My mother was taught to eat oranges with a knife and fork, which is now a rather redundant party piece.

The French not talking about food? What a bizarre concept....

Padraig

JR_Hartley quoted: &quot;Guests would never touch food with their hands and would only shell shrimps with a knife and a fork&quot;

Hmm. Shrimps? At a dinner last time I was in France, not only did I and my French dining companions shell our langoustines by hand, but my neighbour at table, who has a physical incapacity, asked me to shell some for her.

d_claude_bear

The conversation about &quot;toilettes&quot; reminds me of an experience several years ago, when my command of French was even less effective than it is now. I was whiling away the time in a neighborhood cafe while my wife was very slowly ransacking some nearby stores and having great difficulty conversing with Madame the waitperson. Not a hint that she understood English.

Finally, desiring access to a toilet, I asked, in my best French, &quot;Ou est la toilette.&quot; She grimaced, then scowled, then sneered, and in excellent English said, &quot;Monsieur, even though we have only one, it is ALWAYS called 'les toilettes.' Elles sont la-bas.&quot;