Gripe

It annoys me when American journalists insist on perpetuating the stereotype that French people say "ooh la la" all the time.

Guess what? They don't.

Comments

[jeorg]

yes they do... they say oooh la la and bohcoo and moan uhmoor! because they are more romantic than any other civilization. they also say these things in berets while smoking, eating a baguette and stinky cheese with a black and white striped shirt on, tight jeans and a scarf and sneering at people because all french people are rude... even though they are romantic, they are rude while doing it. did i forget anything?

[Denise]

My partner (the French teacher) is Moroccan and spent quite a bit of time in France. He ALWAYS says "OH la la" (not ooh) and "zut alors".

While eating a stinky-cheese-covered baguette, chain-smoking, and wearing his striped shirt and beret, of course.

[sizzle]

I just snorted in laughter at my desk.

Thanks for that. :)

[Alison]

Denise - Yeah, when they say it, it's more like OH la la. Or just OH la!

While wearing a striped shirt and a beret and smoking a Gauloise and drinking red wine. Of course.

[Margaret]

Darned stereotypes!

[Karan]

Do they say sacre bleu like Pepe le Pew?

[Alison]

Karan - Nope. That's what Jeorg forgot in her comment!

[Beanie]

So here's the funny part. In college, I had a French roommate. She actually did say "Ooh lala" all the time...but it was more like:

"Oooolalalala!"

But more importantly, it was not in a "Hey baby" way but more in a "I can't believe you just said that! No Way!" way.

So there you go. It's the exception that proves the rule. ;)

[Jean]

FYI, Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier are dead for some time now, and François Mitterrand was NOT a socialist, only another president. After him they got another president for 10 years which interest in politics was mostly around traveling worldwide especially Japan, eating stinky cheese with white wine or Corona and lime, and be ivy poison to Dubya on occasions. More recently one of their famous immigrants, Carla Bruni, married another ambitious and rich immigrant - can't remember his name but he originates from Eastern Europe, is 5'4" tall, and can swear in public just like a Johnny 6-pack.
And they do have electricity, telephone, hi-speed internet, and running water in every household, for those who still have one after the last bump in real estate pricing.

[The CEO]

Well, first of all, it's sacred bluie. Spelled just like it's pronounced. I got that from my Paresian friend Guy Gabriel, and he was never wrong, just ask him. Unfortunately, he's now dead, but that doesn't mean he was wrong. Second, oh la is actually contracted to ola, and is actually Spanish. I got that from the lady who cleans my office in the evening, and she she always right, and bonita too. My partner told me to use the word bonita and he used to speak French in high school. Now of course, he struggles with English. But that's another story. Could someone pass me some stinky cheese, a striped shirt, and a glass of wine. Forget the cigarette. Thanks, Monty

[Michael C]

Well there ya go. They do use that when referring to anything French, don't they. I'm assuming others think we are all cowboys just because we might say ya'll or howdy, too. Or is that just me that overuses those 2??

[madame l]

bah, oui...
bof.

[Mille Pattes]

Oh la la la !!! ;-)

[Betty C.]

You're right -- I've never heard a French person say the stereotypical "Ooh la la." I have heard some of the variants mentioned above, like "Oh la la" or "Oh la la la la," usually when people are annoyed or put out.

I've heard "putain" a lot though. Somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it.

[Pumpkin]

Once I saw it used when a woman tennis player was hitting a ball and her skirt went up and the French narrator went all OH LA LA la la but kinda in slow motion as he showed the shot over and over. It was funny.

My husband uses it when it is for bad reasons more than good. Mostly if the kids hurt themselves.

If he sees a hot girl on tv he is more likely to say Putain! rather than Oh la la.

I think that Americans sometimes use it with humor in regard to the French but not in a bad way. I know I do sometimes even in spite of having a French husband and children. :)

[misschris]

haha my fil DOES say that--all the time. It´s annoying come to think of it. So maybe they interviewed him.

[Jean]

The right spelling is "sacrebleu !" This interjection of the late 19th century is a little obsolete now.

It is used among others by Captain Haddock in the comics series Tintin from Hergé (RG)and in Jacques Tardi comic books on WWI soldiers.

[Jean]

Today May 1st is labor day holiday almost everywhere else in the world, but in the US. This exception has historical reasons. It's probably worth posting about it.

[Citronella]

Oh, if only you had spend only one hour in my mother's apartment! The neighbors above are quite deaf (from old age) and the old lady, who comes from the North (notice that for people in my home town, anything northern than Montélimard is North, so it's quite vague), says "Oh la laaaaaa" very loudly every, what, seven minutes.

So, some of us might say "oh la la". (I am myself guilty of using "oh la!")

But.

It is NOT suggestive, sexy, sensual, romantic, or whatever! And if the only thing a man has to say about a woman is "oh la la", it is far, far, far from being a compliment. The usage Americans have for it is pretty confusing...

(Oh, and I've been told our president is almost 5'6''. I'm not quite sure if it with or without the wedges, though.)

[ɹǝƃƃolquǝʞoʇ]

I was thinking of pepe le peu, too.

zut alors is my favorite to teach kids!

[Citronella]

Do you know the song "Ooh la" by the Kooks? ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwrq2o6Woiw

[Tiffany]

They don't, but I do. And I do it with a terrible French accent. I perpetuate the myth. Bad me.

[Elisabeth]

Citronella - It was worth reading through all the comments to get your link to the Kooks' Ooh la, it was rather fun.

Nah. I have NEVER hear ONE SINGLE French person I know say Ooh la la. "Putain de Merde," yes. But, then again, you've got to take a close look at the French circles I frequent.

[Alison]

Citronella - I DO know that song, and I love it! I want to kiss the singer (and I say this having only heard the song on the radio. I have not seen the video, and I'm kind of afraid to watch, because I don't want to lose my little fantasy about the Kooks' singer.)

[Beanie]

Do you know what is MORE irritating? That, in my husband's world, it is a valid French interjection to yell "Omlette du fromage!" with a look of horror on his face, whenever something goes wrong. Especially if we're in a crowded public place.

Yes; he knows that it roughly means "cheese omlette." And yes; he realizes that even at that, it's bad grammar. He doesn't care. In fact, he giggles his silly butt off like a 6-year-old every time he says it.

[kikikentucky]

I don't even know why I'm leaving a comment here, but I am right now wearing a white and black striped shirt but with large black corduroy pants :)
Putain fais chier d'ecrire en angliche Ohlala, vite mon verre de vin rouge ...

[Citronella]

Hmm, you might want to keep things that way and not watch the video, ever, Alison.

[Suzy]

And there isn't accordion music playing everywhere, either.