https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed What does Google's autocomplete function tell us about what the world thinks of France? https://www.thelocal.fr/20161221/what-google-tells-us-about-france-and-the-french Wed, 21 Dec 2016 18:07:34 +0100 what-google-tells-us-about-france-and-the-french Germans love to poke fun at the Polish, Americans and Canadians are always trading jibes, the Finns and the Swedes love teasing each other… but who do the French love to make fun of the most? https://www.thelocal.fr/20160527/who-do-the-french-like-to-make-fun-of-the-most Fri, 27 May 2016 14:58:29 +0200 who-do-the-french-like-to-make-fun-of-the-most Why are the French so __________? And why do the Germans __________? https://www.thelocal.fr/20160509/14-things-google-says-about-the-french-and-other-europeans Mon, 09 May 2016 15:53:28 +0200 14-things-google-says-about-the-french-and-other-europeans Ah, France. The land of lazy workers, surrender and adulterers. Come again? Say that stuff to a French person’s face and chances are you've made them really angry. Here we’ve listed some of the worst things you can say to a French man or woman. https://www.thelocal.fr/20141030/ten-things-to-never-say-to-a-french-person Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:40:00 +0100 ten-things-to-never-say-to-a-french-person French drivers find nothing more terrifying than other French drivers, a new poll has found. Also, Spanish drivers are big on their horns, and everyone’s afraid of the Italians. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140228/french-drivers-most-fear-other-french-drivers Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:59:00 +0100 french-drivers-most-fear-other-french-drivers Residents of a Paris street famous for its old world charm, have been celebrating since local authorities rejected a plan to install a new McDonald’s restaurant in their midst, in a sign that while the French have taken to US fast food, they have their limits. https://www.thelocal.fr/20131203/paris-street-fights-back-against-mcdonalds-montorgueil Tue, 03 Dec 2013 11:37:00 +0100 paris-street-fights-back-against-mcdonalds-montorgueil Each French person consumes 48 boxes of medication a year, according to a report published this week. The report is the latest in a series of studies that appears to confirm the French reputation for being overly obsessed with their health. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130711/french-take-48-boxes-of-pills-every-year Thu, 11 Jul 2013 14:37:00 +0200 french-take-48-boxes-of-pills-every-year As French businesses struggle to perform on the world stage, and the government promotes ‘Made in France’ as a winning brand, one pair of entrepreneurs are convinced they have come up with the next big thing: sex toys, à la française. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130710/sex-toy-makers-plan-to-stimulate-french-economy Wed, 10 Jul 2013 21:00:00 +0200 sex-toy-makers-plan-to-stimulate-french-economy The millions of visitors who come to France each year are always quick to offer up an opinion about the French, but what do your Gallic hosts think of you and your compatriots? Thanks to a new tourist guide the Local can reveal all. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130621/gallery-what-the-french-secretly-think-of-you Fri, 21 Jun 2013 16:33:00 +0200 gallery-what-the-french-secretly-think-of-you The days of the rude Paris waiter or shopkeeper may soon be over. As part of a new campaign, Paris tourism chiefs published a training manual this week aimed at teaching Parisians who come into contact with tourists how to offer them a better welcome. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130619/paris-tourism-chiefs-launch-drive-for-warmer-welcome Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:16:00 +0200 paris-tourism-chiefs-launch-drive-for-warmer-welcome The French are well-known for being mad about cuisine, and have a reputation as passionate lovers. But what happens when the two are in competition? The results of a survey revealed on Tuesday have raised a few eyebrows. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130611/sex-or-food-poll-reveals-favourite-french-past-time Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:28:00 +0200 sex-or-food-poll-reveals-favourite-french-past-time The French were the precursors of politeness, but TV show host and author Princesse Hermine de Clermont-Tonnerre tells The Local the rules of everyday French life are fading. Find out what she blames for the decline in manners. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130604/why-french-manners-thing-of-the-past Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:32:00 +0200 why-french-manners-thing-of-the-past Every country has its outdated and needless laws and France, famous for its bureaucratic vigour, is no different. A new report spelling out the desperate need to reform daft regulations, has named the top three stupidest laws. And the winner is… https://www.thelocal.fr/20130327/frances-stupidest-laws Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:07:00 +0100 frances-stupidest-laws After embarrassing the Anglophones among us last week, it's time to point out that the French themselves have a habit of turning faces red with their own accidentally dirty words. Here are the ten naughtiest mistakes the French make in English. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130315/ten-embarassing-mistakes-the-french-make-in-english Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:45:00 +0100 ten-embarassing-mistakes-the-french-make-in-english In the US Apple might be free to cater to customers' needs 24-hours a day, but a French court has banned the computer giant from forcing French staff to work at night, after falling foul of a long-standing French restriction on working hours. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130313/france-forbids-night-time-hours-for-apple-stores Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:51:00 +0100 france-forbids-night-time-hours-for-apple-stores Just arrived in France? On holiday and relying on your phrasebook? Lived here for years? We've all been left red-faced by small errors while speaking the language. The Local is on hand with the ten most embarrassing mistakes to avoid in French. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130308/ten-most-embarrassing-mistakes-to-avoid-in-french Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:23:00 +0100 ten-most-embarrassing-mistakes-to-avoid-in-french A French minister vowed on Thursday to cut bureaucracy in a bid to lure foreign investors, and said her South Korean roots would help to boost France's profile in booming Asia. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130307/minister-vows-to-cut-red-tape-for-businesses Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:11:00 +0100 minister-vows-to-cut-red-tape-for-businesses McDonald’s in France is aiming to make their French fries true to their name, vowing to sell only 100% Made In France 'frites' by the end of 2013. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130225/mcdonalds-set-to-make-100-french-fries Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:43:00 +0100 mcdonalds-set-to-make-100-french-fries This week, American CEO Maurice Taylor caused a furore by suggesting French workers were lazy. But could there be a grain of truth in what he said? The Local turns to ‘work ethic’ expert Aurélie Boullet (alias Zoé Shepard) to find out. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130222/are-french-workers-lazy-a-view-from-france Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:22:00 +0100 are-french-workers-lazy-a-view-from-france American fast food giant McDonald’s is going native in France once again. After the McBaguette and the casse croûte (French snack) they are now launching a burger using the most French of French cheeses - camembert. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130212/camembert-burger-mcdonalds-fast-food Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:57:00 +0100 camembert-burger-mcdonalds-fast-food