Navigating the French

Wine bar, bistro, café, bouillon… it seems Paris is rife with a panoply of categories to which restaurants can belong. To explore the reasons why the culinary landscape seems so divided – and why the modern nomenclature is a bit outdated – Emily is chatting with culinary educator Allison Zinder about a word that’s far more than just a cube: bouillon. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroun...

When a burger is deluxe, it’s bigger. But de luxe in French has no such connotations of size. Here to explore the je ne sais quoi that has given anything French such a connotation of luxury is Lane Nieset, an accomplished journalist and specialist in luxury travel here in France. http://lanenieset.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lanenieset/ Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find...

What the hippies were to North America, the 68ers or 68ards were in France. To address this political movement that essentially saw France shut down in May of 1968 is Dr. Ben Mercer, Senior Lecturer at the School of History at the Australian National University. He’ll be exploring how this movement embodied some values of French society that still hold true today. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/p...

During lockdown, the Countess Marie de Tilly took to TikTok to teach dos and don'ts to the youngest generation of French society. She’s here to discuss a word that evokes some of these rules – and to explore why its innate rigidity might mean a different word is better suited to talking about politeness and respect: étiquette. https://www.tiktok.com/@comtessemarie_?lang=en Join us on Patreon: patr...

A double entendre often alludes to an underlying, dirty interpretation of what we've actually said, but according to Heloïse Prieur, French language and culture coach, translator, and founder of Belle Entente, the fact that this expression comes from French says a lot more about the Anglo-American perception of French culture than the reality. She's here to talk about why the French say what they...

The French are frequently unfairly pegged as lazy, with a 35-hour work week and generous vacation policy. But the French approach to travail goes far deeper than that, with the roots of the push for workers rights dating back to revolts in the 18th, 19th, and even 20th centuries. Here to explore the French relationship with work, labor, and, yes, smoke breaks, is journalist Lindsey Tramuta, author...

In a land known for its pastry, one word seems to carry a lot of weight. Doux can mean sweet, unsalted, mild, or even soft. To discuss why this is – and what the French expect in terms of both taste and texture when it comes to their food – Emily is talking with Jane Bertch, founder and owner of La Cuisine cooking school in Paris. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find Us Onlin...

French feminism can be equally construed as being at the forefront and well behind the movement elsewhere in the world. To discuss this complicated discrepancy – as well as womanhood in general, in France – Emily is joined by Anna Malzy in a deep exploration of the word femme. The book Anna cites is: The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris by Edmund White Anna Malzy: https://www.pirat...

The French may often look glum, but there's far more to their joy than meets the eye. This week, Emily is joined by author Harriet Welty Rochefort. She's here to explore why it's not ironic that we've borrowed this phrase from the French: joie de vivre. Harriet Welty Rochefort: https://www.amazon.com/Harriet-Welty-Rochefort/e/B001IR3CPE Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/parisundergroundradio Find Us...

Whenever you start eating in France, whether you're sitting down to a several-course dinner or scarfing a sandwich on the métro, you'll hear the phatic expression – almost a rallying cry: bon appétit. This week, Emily is chatting with journalist Julie Barlow about why the expression definitely doesn't translate to "good appetite.” Wine Dine Lyon: https://www.winedinecaroline.com/french-wine-tours-...

As a very gendered language, French implies a masculine or feminine even in professions: a female chef is called a cheffe; a female poet could be une poète. But une boulangère isn't just a female baker – at least, not in a historical context. To explore why, Emily is chatting with Alice Quillet, co-owner and co-founder of the Ten Belles bakery and coffee shops. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/...

The French would love for you to believe they’re all descended from the Gauls, and as a society have fairly assimilationist views of what makes someone French. Dr. Gemma King is here to help shed some light on a term that might appear to be purely descriptive of a multiplicity of identities within the tapestry of Frenchness but actually has some built-in connotations of purity and what it means to...

The French may seem really set in their linguistic ways, but French is an evolving, changing language, like any other! It features multiple registers, from familiar to respectful, and it also has more than its share of unique slang expressions, dubbed argot. Here to explore what makes contemporary French unique is Charlie Whitesides, founder of Street French, a resource for Anglophones who want to...

Books are an inextricable part of French culture, and so is where you get them. Librairie is a false cognate – the French word, not for library, but for bookshop. On this episode of Navigating the French, Emily is joined by Janet Skeslien Charles, author of the award-winning novel The Paris Library, to talk about this false friend as well as the place of both bookshops and libraries in French cult...

George Bush famously claimed that the French don't have a word for entrepreneur, and while we all laughed at the time, there may have been a kernel of truth to what he said! To discuss why entrepreneurship is a fairly foreign concept to most French people, Emily is joined by multi-passionate creative Anne Ditmeyer. She’s here to talk about why this word may have French origins but remains foreign...

Emily chats with food historian Jim Chevallier, author of August Zang and the French Croissant. He’s here to explain why Marie-Antoinette could not have brought the croissant to Paris – and why her country of origin is still given credit for it through the word for this category of beloved breakfast pastries: Viennoiserie. Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/navigatingthe...

French culture is governed by a set of values: not just the libérté, égalité, fraternité formalized following the French Revolution, but also laïcité, culture générale, and more. Journalist Lily Radziemski recently attended a four-day integration course as part of her visa renewal process, and so she's perfectly positioned to chat with Emily about les valeurs françaises Find Us Online Website: htt...

The French are natural contrarians, but their love of arguing goes a lot deeper than a simple desire to be right. With roots in 18th century philosophy and childhoods rife with being told they're wrong, the French love of débat is pervasive. Here to chat about it with Emily is Keith van Sickle, a part-time expat and author of One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence, Are We French Yet?, and...

In France, intellectual pursuits are so widespread that there’s a term to encompass the sorts of things folks are expected to know. It covers everything from French comic books based in Ancient Roman history to the newest cinematic masterpieces. To discuss culture générale, Emily is welcoming Mathilde Caër, a former bookseller and staff member at Paris’ museum of music. *Mathilde expresses her per...

In France, everything from knowing which you to use to buying stamps has an added layer of complexity. To discuss why, Emily is chatting with Ellen Hampton, historian and author of books like Women of Valor: The Rochambelles on the WWII Front. They're delving into the ins and outs of compliqué. Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/navigatingthefrench Facebook: https://www....

The French are famous for their derision, correcting newcomers on their language, their way of dressing, and even the volume at which they speak. But they aren't being pedantic to be cruel – it's all linked to the deeply held value of being correct, as Emily explores this week with Janet Hulstrand, author of Demystifying the French: How to Love Them and Make Them Love You. Find Us Online Website:...

When you go to a French restaurant, it's not all about the food. There's a certain theatrical bent, from the adornment of the table with all manner of flatware to the dramatic tableside flambage of your crêpe suzette. These elements and more are part of the idea of a restaurant gastronomique, an idea Emily's discussing with chef, culinary educator, and gastronomy guide Allison Zinder. allisonzinde...

In France, some Black people describe themselves as Noir; others choose Black. To delve into the difference – as well as the myriad communities and cultures that make up Black France and Black Paris – Emily is joined by Dr. Monique Wells, founder of Entrée to Black Paris. She's discussing everything from why Josephine Baker is so revered here to the movement for justice for Adama Traoré. Find Us O...

Ep. 11 - Navigating “La Bise” with Scott Carpenter Many a traveler to France has encountered those airy, European cheek kisses, but la bise is actually tougher to navigate than it looks. Is it one kiss or two? Or three? Or four? Do you start to the left or the right? And with Covid surging, is la bise falling out of fashion forever? To answer these and more questions, Emily chats with Scott Carpen...

The French are famous for their flirtatious flair. In this week's episode, Emily is chatting with Anne Marsella, an author, jazz musician, and founder of Madame de Châtelet Productions, a literary salon in Paris celebrating the feminine erotic about a word linked to the French passion of seduction: coquette. https://www.instagram.com/annemarsella/?hl=en Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisund...