For appliances, such as my beloved réfrigérateur, it’s a fairly straightforward translation, although the French refer to it as le frigo or le frigidaire, even if it’s made by Bosch, Electrolux, or my favorite appliance brand, Candy

A second measurement for apartments in France is the superficie Carrez, or the actual usable area. Here, things get a little looser—but only slightly. This is still France, after all. Anywhere you can’t stand or sit, such as where there are pipes, stairs, low ceilings (which included 75 percent of my previous apartment and I have a few permanent

Coming from a country where the customer is always right, I’ve found that actions and transactions in France can be a bit of a game, to see who has the upper hand. Some of this goes back to when France was a monarchy and society was stratified and feudal. That changed during the French Revolution, when the people took the power from the higher-ups

Americans will politely say, “It’s okay,” even if it’s not. The French don’t mince words. They’ll not only tell you that they don’t like something, but why—with a frankness that takes adjusting to. They consider it “helpful” to you, to let you know that the new shirt you’re wearing proudly makes your stomach look like you’ve eaten too much

Of course, there are things you do to pave the way for success before entering into one, like saying “Bonjour, madame” when walking into the boulangerie to pick up your baguette, or beginning a request with “Excusez-moi de vous déranger”—“I’m sorry to bother you”—leading off with an apology, letting a salesclerk or receptionist know that you

France doesn’t really do discounts. Sales (les soldes) are limited to twice-yearly dates mandated by the government. Stores and supermarkets are allowed to have promotions, but you take your chances buying something en promo, because even if the flyer advertises an item on sale, my experience has shown that more often than not, it’ll ring up at the

Nos chers voisins is a hit television series in France. It chronicles fictional battles between neighbors in Paris, bickering over petty issues, spying through keyholes, and doing their share to keep La Poste in business with dreaded lettres recommandées (registered letters) flying back and forth.

It’s now estimated that 75 percent of the restaurants in France have a hamburger on the menu. People who don’t live in France scoff at how le burger (and its fromage-topped cousin, le cheese) took off in the country. “I don’t go to Paris to eat hamburgers!” they’ll scoff, but you’ll find few tourists in the burger places that have infiltrated

Ch. Lavillaugouet has been in the business of assainissement, water drainage, since 1872, and I’m not the first person they’ve saved in Paris.