How not to be spotted as an Anglo in Paris

[RooFlyer]

I've just spent three days in Paris. I've been here a number of times, so its been nice not to have to do all the tourist traps (although i have done a couple - Versailles was practically deserted).

So what I want to ask - and @esseeeayeenn might be our Paris expert - is what makes me stand out as a bloody Anglo? I dress I thought non-exceptionally - jeans, ordinary shirt, jumper and black jacket - no camera, no sun glasses. I'm 60, with a paunch ... you get the idea.

Yet on the first day, I went into Carrefours City near Gare du Nord to get some groceries - bottle of wine, some juice, a baguette, salmon, biscuits. And the guy at the check-out says - "Bon (looks up) ... hello sir .. do you need a bag?"

Before I said a word, he's picked me as an Anglo. This was very discouraging.

Today, I went up to the ticket counter at Gare du Nord, about to inquire about ticket to CDG, and the lady said "hello" , again, without me saying a word. I guess a local wouldn't approach the ticket counter, but still ...

So what's giving me away?

 

[OZDUCK]

In Italy in the 1970's my wife was often spoken to in Italian. She is Eurasian but looks like a "Southern Mediterranean type". It happened so often that she was getting grumpy about it by the end of the trip. (People would ask her a long question in Italian and then treat her a bit like an idiot when she couldn't give an answer) However big boofheaded me is never mistaken for anything other than an Anglo type.

 

[SeatBackForward]

My approach works well, don't be a Anglo in the first place.

 

[serfty]

My approach works well, don't be a Anglo in the first place.

Would that be hereditary?

 

[DC3]

... Yet on the first day, I went into Carrefours City near Gare du Nord to get some groceries - bottle of wine, some juice, a baguette, salmon, biscuits. And the guy at the check-out says - "Bon (looks up) ... hello sir .. do you need a bag?"

Before I said a word, he's picked me as an Anglo. This was very discouraging ...

Perhaps your beret wasn’t that convincing?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Would that be hereditary?

Well a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes, but yes there is an obvious advantage due to it.

 

[drron]

When I enter a restaurant in France and say Bonjour or Bon nuit the waiter always responds-and the English menu for monsieur?

Whereas in Greece mrsdrron would be welcomed in Greek.When she said she was Australian the response would be-well you could still be a good Greek girl.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I've just spent three days in Paris. I've been here a number of times, so its been nice not to have to do all the tourist traps (although i have done a couple - Versailles was practically deserted).

So what I want to ask - and @esseeeayeenn might be our Paris expert - is what makes me stand out as a bloody Anglo? I dress I thought non-exceptionally - jeans, ordinary shirt, jumper and black jacket - no camera, no sun glasses. I'm 60, with a paunch ... you get the idea.

Yet on the first day, I went into Carrefours City near Gare du Nord to get some groceries - bottle of wine, some juice, a baguette, salmon, biscuits. And the guy at the check-out says - "Bon (looks up) ... hello sir .. do you need a bag?"

Before I said a word, he's picked me as an Anglo. This was very discouraging.

Today, I went up to the ticket counter at Gare du Nord, about to inquire about ticket to CDG, and the lady said "hello" , again, without me saying a word. I guess a local wouldn't approach the ticket counter, but still ...

So what's giving me away?

Difficult to answer so I will answer the easier part first.
The French use "hello" as well so if that is all the lady at the Gare du Nord said, it's not necessarily because she thought you were an anglophone.
Now to the harder part.
The French are certainly very good at picking accents and in places like Paris they will often reply to me in English even though my French is good.
If you hadn't even spoken, they may be picking up on a lack of non-verbal communication.
There is a lot of eyebrow raising and eye rolling and tilts of the head and little mouth movements between a smile and a grimace which the French exchange before they speak. And while they speak. Just as French conversation is peppered with "euh" and "eh" and "hein" and "bof" and "hrhh" and "hhh" and so on and so forth.
Anglophones tend to wait expectantly with a neutral expression until words are exchanged.
So they may be picking up on that.
Otherwise you may not be affecting a proper gallic indifference with your wardrobe!

 

[33kft]

In Italy in the 1970's my wife was often spoken to in Italian

This happens to me constantly too, to the point that I have been in at least one argument in the past with someone who just wanted to know which flavour of mediterranean heritage I was (and would not take none as an answer, particularly as that was also their background).

As a 4th generation Aussie who has not even a sniff of interesting heritage on either side (both Scottish but that is looong gone) I am baffled. I also realise how useless it is to look like a local without knowing any of the language

 

[RooFlyer]

Anglophones tend to wait expectantly with a neutral expression until words are exchanged.
So they may be picking up on that.
Otherwise you may not be affecting a proper gallic indifference with your wardrobe!

I wasn't at the head of the queue, so silent, and so maybe I was still a bit slow off the mark. But I think the wardrobe might have done it - my black raincoat was a bit thinner than the black rain coats around me.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When I enter a restaurant in France and say Bonjour or Bon nuit the waiter always responds-and the English menu for monsieur?

lol 'Bonne nuit' means 'good night' when someone is going to bed!!

 

[Julesmac]

My galpal and I were bemoaning the fact that in Italy every waiter spoke to us in English. It was so frustrating - we'd been learning Italian too. Using it on the the very handsome Italian checking us in to our hotel, we conversed a wee bit then he switched to English - and suddenly said something in a real Aussie twang. We said hang on Stefano - you're not Italian. He said nah, my name's Steve, I come from Pascoe Vale (Italian parents but born and raised in Melbourne) I found we got a great laugh in Italy and even more in France when I trotted out my little lines -in a very good accent - " I'm sorry, we're not English, not German, not Dutch - and doing a thumbs down - non Americano. We are Australian". Worked every time. I suspect everyone rather enjoys not likibng Americans

 

[esseeeayeenn]

lol 'Bonne nuit' means 'good night' when someone is going to bed!!

Indeed, try bon soir as an evening greeting (good evening).
Whereas bonne soirée is an evening farewell (have a good evening).
(But don't be confused because soirée also means evening gathering and is commonly used instead of fête to mean party.)
Similarly while bonjour is a daytime greeting bonne journée is a polite daytime farewell.
Suitable in a restaurant or at the cash register.
But both bonne journée and bonne soirée tend to be replaced by the farewell bon weekend from Friday afternoon through Sunday.
(And the "w" in "weekend" is pronounced as a soft "v".)
Edit: further pronunciation tips, the "o" in "bon" is a nasalised vowel and the final "n" is not pronounced, whereas in "bonne" the final "e" means the "n" is pronounced, but the "e" itself is not, and the "o" is not nasalised. An e with an acute accent "é" is pronounced "ay" as in "hay".

 

[Anna]

Don't be like the Aussie I know who was trying to buy milk and kept being given garlic much to her confusion . Lait is not supposed to be pronounced the same as l'ail

 

[OZDUCK]

This happens to me constantly too, to the point that I have been in at least one argument in the past with someone who just wanted to know which flavour of mediterranean heritage I was (and would not take none as an answer, particularly as that was also their background).

As a 4th generation Aussie who has not even a sniff of interesting heritage on either side (both Scottish but that is looong gone) I am baffled. I also realise how useless it is to look like a local without knowing any of the language

Perhaps it was some Spanish blood from a survivor of the wreck of an Armada ship on Scottish shores. The look just skipped a few generations.

I am descended from Scots who came here via NZ , English - who came here via Tasmania, Irish who came here as Convict Guards and Yorkshiremen who followed the gold rushes around Australia - all in the 19th C. However as I said above I look nothing but Anglo. My children have not inherited any of the Eurasian look from my wife - the German/Dutch/Scots/English genes seem to have won out.

 

[TheRealTMA]

It used to be in France that it was very important to establish that you were Australian and not America, English or German. One was treated with much more respect and kindness. I guess it’s still the same?

”Moi Aussi”

 

[OZDUCK]

It used to be in France that it was very important to establish that you were Australian and not America, English or German. One was treated with much more respect and kindness. I guess it’s still the same?

”Moi Aussi”

That has certainly been the case in our trips - 1976, 2011 & 2013.

 

[TheRealTMA]

‘73 ‘79 ‘84 ’93 and ‘04 for us!

 

[esseeeayeenn]

”Moi Aussi”

Which means "me too".
But yes they are nicer to Australians than to Americans or the hated English.

 

[Deleted member]

I don’t speak French beyond a few phrases , I do however try to conform to etiquette and upon entering a shop or approaching a kiosk I automatically exclaim “Bonjour” in my best French (non regional) accent. I have found that more often than not I get a response in French which to me is unintelligible. My (with Mrs GPH) plan has (for some time now) been to move to France for an extended period so I might immerse myself in not only the culture but the language as well.
Much has gotten in the way since then. I digress. Hope this helps.

 

[Julesmac]

Which means "me too".
But yes they are nicer to Australians than to Americans or the hated English.

Watched an American woman on the bus from CDC to Gare du something. She had a scrap of paper with obviously the hotel address. Kept waving it under the bus driver's nose saying take me here, & getting ever louder as the journey continued & he continued to ignore her. I was able to exchange a Gallic eye roll and shrug with the Frenchman opposite. Asking the driver of any commuter bus to drop you at the door? only an American....