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?

 

[tgh]

I can't answer, even humorously, without offending our Francophile readers….

 

[Anna]

What are French guys your age wearing? (Apart from berets, strings of onions etc )

 

[Anna]

Or maybe it's because you're not greeting the server first before they greet you? The French are unusual about that. A lot of 'rudeness' from shop assistants is because the tourist entering the shop has not said hello on entering, which the French think is terribly rude.

 

[LadyC]

Is it the jeans? The French seem to be more slacks oriented!

 

[Denali]

Are you wearing a belt, its the belt....

 

[Pushka]

Or maybe it's because you're not greeting the server first before they greet you? The French are unusual about that. A lot of 'rudeness' from shop assistants is because the tourist entering the shop has not said hello on entering, which the French think is terribly rude.

Agree. And when exiting, even if no purchase has been made, it's also considered rude not to say thankyou or goodbye (in French of course). And maybe you look like a Brit?

 

[jb747]

There was a place in Athens, which would welcome you in your native language. We sat a watched the guy go through a whole bunch of languages, and as best we could tell, he never got one wrong.

 

[VPS]

I do find that frustrating. I went to buy something in Siena and he started speaking to me in English and I said why do you speak to me in English and he said because you look like an American

 

[get me outta here]

The trader in the Grand Bazaar IST knew I was an Aussie before I said anything. He was tickled pink that he could get it right for others too.

 

[DaleS]

It's generalisation but we Aussies do have a look. In my twenties I spent a few years as a ski bum in Vail and I worked in a restaurant where everyone sat at a counter. It didn't take me that long to be able to spot Aussies as they came in. Ruddy faced blokes, blond girls with freckles or whole families or whatever you could just tell. After a while I'd hide my accent otherwise you ended up in long conversations that kept you from your job - g'day, where ya from?, oh yeah got a mate from there, wod d ya think of the yanks? geeze I hate the cough beer, geeze i hate tippin, when ya goin home? Felt bad sometimes especially in January when there were lots of them on ski tours but often there was no alternative.

 

[RooFlyer]

What are French guys your age wearing?

Black jackets, just like me.

Or maybe it's because you're not greeting the server first before they greet you?

He didn't give me the chance! The last guy was still picking up his stuff, so theoretically I was still in the queue.

He started the French greeting, looked up and then changed to English. Maybe it was the sign on my forehead " tourist"?

 

[rginoz]

When I'm in Germany, I get asked frequently on the streets by local German people, speaking German, 'what time does the bus come?', or 'how was the food in this restaurant?' and so on. I figure I must look German. My ancestry is a mix of English, Irish, Scottish and Swedish, so maybe I fit the image.

In France, I am almost never taken to be French. Mostly, I don't match their looks. And if they have any doubt about me, I just need to speak my special version of French to them.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I do find that frustrating. I went to buy something in Siena and he started speaking to me in English and I said why do you speak to me in English and he said because you look like an American

Annoying that but they are just being hospitable and like to practice their English.

One of the joys of going to italy Is to practice (or torture) one’s Italian on the locals and learn some dialect.

When they say “hello”, I reply to them in Italian that I’m Australian and we don’t speak English. That confuses them for long enough that they drop back into Italian.

 

[Bundy Bear]

You didn’t have a shopping bag with you,
most countries have a certain look about them and if you looked like a new customer maybe they just figure it out.

 

[Anna]

I suspect they might be picking you as 'non local, non Francophone' and therefore switching to English as the universal language rather than picking you as specifically Anglo.

Post a photo of your outfit and we can all weigh in with our $0.02 worth 'Black jacket' isn't the complete look

 

[Anna]

When I'm in Germany, I get asked frequently on the streets by local German people, speaking German, 'what time does the bus come?', or 'how was the food in this restaurant?' and so on. I figure I must look German. My ancestry is a mix of English, Irish, Scottish and Swedish, so maybe I fit the image.

In France, I am almost never taken to be French. Mostly, I don't match their looks. And if they have any doubt about me, I just need to speak my special version of French to them.

I get asked for directions a lot, wherever I am. I think it's because I look like I know where I'm going, and not scary. How wrong they are. On both counts

 

[Antoallison]

With respect.... I think possibly your overall size and colouring. Might be what they are getting as clues...

A generalisation I know, but many French men seemed to have an inverted triangle shape.

if you want to blend in maybe forget walking around exhibiting the Gallic shrug or carrying a fresh baguette .....perhaps you should just have a packet of cigarettes.

I have Irish heritage, maternal family side all have black hair, dark eyes and swarthy complexions - so were often mistaken for being either Spanish, Italian, French.

 

[Antoallison]

There are exceptions ...

 

[TheRealTMA]

There are exceptions ...View attachment 209662

Isn’t he a Russian now?

After the French wanted him to pay tax?