French President Jacques Chirac is reported to have cracked jokes about British food at a meeting with the German and Russian leaders.

French newspaper Liberation says Gerhard Schroeder and Vladimir Putin laughed and joined in the banter.

"One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad," it quotes Mr Chirac as saying, within earshot of reporters.

A French government spokesman declined to comment on the report, which comes days before the G8 summit in Scotland.


Jacques Chirac
The three men met on Sunday for celebrations to mark the 750th anniversary of the founding of Kaliningrad, formerly known as Koenigsberg, an exclave of Russia surrounded by Poland and Lithuania.

"The only thing they have ever done for European agriculture is mad cow disease," Mr Chirac said, according to the newspaper's report.


"After Finland, it is the country with the worst food."

A spokesman for Number 10 said: "There are some things that it is better not to comment on."

Problems with Nato

Mr Chirac is also reported to have reminisced about an occasion when Lord George Robertson, the former Secretary General of Nato, had made him try a Scottish dish.

"That is where our difficulties with Nato come from," he said.


The Taste of Scotland is always to be enjoyed at the Gleneagles Hotel
Gleneagles Hotel website
The comments come as France and the UK compete to hold the Olympic games in 2012, and are at loggerheads over the EU budget.

On Wednesday Mr Chirac will be flying to Gleneagles for a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II to open the G8 summit.

The menu has not been published, but most of the food, provided by the Gleneagles hotel, will be locally sourced.

"The Taste of Scotland is always to be enjoyed at the Gleneagles Hotel, from morning kippers or a fresh egg from a nearby farmhouse; scones and cream or Dundee cake for afternoon tea in The Bar to Angus beef, Scottish salmon, venison or Highland grouse for dinner," the hotel's website says.

It adds that the hotel's kitchens "benefit from the finest, freshest produce available from Scotland's larder, and from specialist suppliers around the world".

Hamburgers OK

US President George W Bush said in an interview with the Times newspaper that he would not eat haggis at the summit, or wear a kilt.

Liberation says Mr Putin tried to egg Mr Chirac on at the Kaliningrad meeting, asking him what he thought of hamburgers.

Mr Chirac replied that hamburgers were far preferable to British food.

In an interview with Time magazine two years ago, he said he had been a fan of America since spending a summer at Harvard University in 1953, and that he loved "junk food".

France came close to being fined in 2002, for refusing to lift a ban on British beef, in the wake of the BSE crisis.

The European Union issued a worldwide ban on British beef exports in 1996, but lifted it in 1999.

from everyone's favourite bbc website.


What a joke. I say invade the arrogant swines. I'm fed up with the French.

To be fair,if the worse the French can do is insult our food,Id think we'd come out of the slanging match pretty well.Ive lost count of the number of times the French have been called such things as "Cheese eating surrender monkeys" etc,etc.Surely thats far more insulting?
And as for being arrogant,we as a nation could be equally accused on that score:rolleyes:

but he is the LEADER of the Nation publicly insulting our country

Agreed,but then Chiracs hardly known for his tact,is he?And I'd hate to think people of other countries would judge all British people by the actions/words of TB:(

To be fair, he's pretty much right...

...of course, he'll change his mind if he ever has a proper Yorkshire Pudding.

:cool:

well, the people seem to think its fine to burn our sheep, blockade our ports or strike at every given moment in order to protect the 40% of the EU Budget that goes in subsidies for farming (which generates only 1.5% of income and effects 5% of people)

Should the title not be 'where does one French man get off?'

Yes this is just one, extremely annoying man.
Not "the French"

In another thread people are saying why do we all hate americans, when it's george W most people hate and the current american government. The same argument.

France is Lovely, The French are Great.
Chirac has put his foot in it.

Originally posted by robbie


What a joke. I say invade the arrogant swines. I'm fed up with the French.

Off ye go then robbie ! I've a 1940s vintage tin helmet and gas mask you can borrow....had to hand the rifle in, but you can likely buy an imitation.

Go plant a Union Jack on the beach at Calais and let the buggers feel your wrath :D

Originally posted by Greybeard
Off ye go then robbie ! I've a 1940s vintage tin helmet and gas mask you can borrow....had to hand the rifle in, but you can likely buy an imitation.

Go plant a Union Jack on the beach at Calais and let the buggers feel your wrath :D

All together now.."who do you think,youre kidding Mr Chirac.....";)

You suck, its nothing new :D lol
Thats y RUM is here, couple of 5 yer plans here and there and evrething will be good again :thumbsup:

RUM expansion into europe is a long term goal, after which the rest of the world and then space will be conquered and the RUM flag raised.

The estimated completion date is next thursday.

Edited: been informed the tank needs fuel, full take over now estimated at year 2011, about april-ish.

My guess is that the French get off the Eurostar in Paris.

At the end of the day they are still French and thats the biggest insult anyone can have made against them!

Jacques Chirac isn't even liked in his own country!

Chirac's comments, reported in the French press.
He said that Britain had contributed "Mad Cows" to Europe.
British food was "Rubbish". Apparently, all "Asides", during the G8 informal discussions. Reported in the French press, because of the So called Problems between Britain and France at the moment.
What Problems? - - Let Paris have the Olympics.
What me, not Patriotic. Well, they would probably make a mess of it like Paris Disney-Land, and land themselves with a huge National Debt.
Worse than that, Under the present system, we would make a mess of it, like the Millenium Dome, the NHS, the ID card's, the "Student Games" in Sheffield, and every other project this government has proposed-started, and then watched the money pour out as the costs rise.
If I was reply in kind to Chirac Mr Blair, I would say that France has aided and abetted over the past couple of years in hundreds and thousands of illegal immigrants crossing from france to Britain. Their main export in fact.
Are afraid of a true discussion on the problems of Africa, because the majority of the problem areas were originally under french supervision.
It is just the posturing of a failed politician, rejected by his own electorate, and fighting for his own salvation.

They send him here, They send him there

They send that Frenchie everywhere

Is he in Scotland, Insulting the Haggis?

Demmed sure they'll boot him back to Paris

The only French meal I've had was about 8 courses, each of them took half an hour to come, and the biggest course was a rabbit's leg with a bit of cold gravy and some lettuce.

Based on this, I think that all French food is rubbish.

And I've never eaten horse, snails or frogs.

Yes , the French deserve to get the Olympics but I don't think M. Chirac will beat Mr. Blair in the High Jump.
John Prescott should win the 100 metres sprint , particularly in the direction of a large meat pie , placed on the roof of a new jag.
Doing the three-legged race with Peter Mandelson might prove interesting.
Overall , however , I think the French will get more gold medals than us . If they don't actually win them , they can make some from all the gold they've had from Brussels and Strasbourg , these last 20 years.

What a pair of cynics you two are.

Just because good old Jacques has a few problems at home, you two think that we can add to his grief by having a sly dig at him. He is only using classic diversion tactics just a bit like the Maginot Line but without the bricks...ooops sorry that didn't work either :D

Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom
And I've never eaten horse, snails or frogs.

Then you should, because they taste great! Snails in garlic sauce, hmm. You can get them in Aldi in Germany *lol*

Jacques Chirac:

Any more clangers like this and you'll be getting an invite to join New Labour (along with a couple of badges featuring Messrs Prescott and Blunkett).

Have a look at this site to have a laugh at Frenchie (http://www.francesucks.com/) but it is American and there are some sweary words in it!

so don't look if you are of a nervous disposition.

But of course We wouldn't want to upset Frenchie, now would we? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4625255.stm) :rant: :suspect:

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
Have a look at this site to have a laugh at Frenchie (http://www.francesucks.com/) but it is American and there are some sweary words in it!

so don't look if you are of a nervous disposition.

Ha Ha, brilliant site, I couldn't agree with it more!

Breaking News: French isolate stupid gene (http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/2001/11/12/french-gene.html)

The tiny slither of DNA, which has been found in 94 per cent of French teenagers, is claimed to control stupid, tiresome and petulant behaviour.
:hihi:

This is what The Rockall Times (http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/2005/07/04/olympic-vote.html) has to say on the matter.For the 2012 Paris games the IOC has broken with tradition by choosing to award the Olympics to the city that submits what insiders are calling the "best bid". This is a dramatic departure from previous years where games were awarded based on a complicated computer formula that took into account a variety of factors such as the quality of hotel rooms available to IOC members and the total weight of gifts delivered by host cities to the IOC.

Yes , M.Chirac might well hit it off in New Labour----------but I can see at least one major snag.
How on earth would Chirac and Prescott communicate ? Particularly after a few vins rouges or pints of Tetley's ?

M.Chirac] Avez vous les enfants , Jean ?

J.P.] Any moor , bluddy slavver like that an' a'll gi'thee a reight knuckle sandwich.

M.Chirac] Non, je ne don't want une of votre 'orrible roast beef sandwiches. Non way !!

J.P ] 'Ey , 'ave ye 'eard this chuffin' Froggy goin' on abaht ' our grub ? Listen M. , 'Clever Clogs " Shirtlack , or wottever tha 'name is , if tha 'dunt like our grub , gu , nah , straight dahn to Dover and gerron first boat and don't come back and tell them...................

Wed probably be at war with France in a fortnight ; the Olympics would be abandoned and the Entente Cordiale would be right up the spout.

I agree, Blair should let Prescot loose on a few literary sallies.
A few broadsides would soon shiver their timbers, and cause consternation over the Games. They have a history of losing in the shot-put, and ending up doing the synchronised swimming.
The first 21 miles of their marathon runners is usually done in a truck from Calais.
At the G8 talks, they will be pushing forward their Whine industry to all and sundry.

I think the best quote about the French has to be:-

"For two and a half years the Western Front has been as likely to move as a Frenchman who lives next door to a brothel..." :hihi:
Edmond Blackadder - Blackadder Goes Forth

Well what would I rather eat let me think, Yorkshire Pudding or Frogs Legs & Snailscannot seperate them (English Sarcasm)Shirac should get a life & stop insulting other people's country's & food,I mean he joked about us to the German & Russian leaders,looks like he seems to have forgot what happened over 60 yrs ago when country's like ours saved there Bacon sorry I mean Frogs Legs & Snails.Apologies for mentioning the war.

Originally posted by Andy78
Should the title not be 'where does one French man get off?' Quite, not all french have a genetic hatered against the British, or more precisely the English. My french father even married one !
Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom
And I've never eaten horse, snails or frogs.Horse is lovely, horse burger or horse steak... I know of a horse butcher, but parents always do the shopping on the market but I bet you can have horse liver, horse ribs etc ;)
Don't think I'd touch snails or frogs with a barge poll though, animals that small are reallynot worth making the effort.
Go for horse though, it is similar to beef, but has this extra richness to it: well worth it.
My uncle (Born & Bred in Sheffield) tells me he once new several horse butchers in Sheffield, dunno if there still are though.

I think M. Chirac should be treated as a kind of Prince Phillip type of figure. He's also renound for making ill advised remarks which entire nations find offensive.

One thing you can always count upon is the continued ingrattitude of French leaders.

Will be be treated to the Blair's doing a duet at the Edinburgh concert tonight? Another rendering of "when I'm 64" would be appropriate.
He should take a leaf from the Burning Bush's policy, and ensure that he only has Britains interests at heart. Bush can hardly offer support for Tony at the moment, as the leader of the EU, he is representing the USA's greatest trading rival.
I hope Gordon doesn't give too much away, if we win the Olympic struggle, there will be Billions needed here, to build the facilities needed.
Will the cost of Policing, necessary because of the threats posed by the anarchist etc invited to Ediburgh by the G8 organisers be paid out of the concert profits?
What an Embarrassment! To the Peace at all cost brigade.

People call the French for eating snails, frogs and horses, but the British eat tripe, liver, black pudding, bulls testicles and Barnsley chops.

French cheese and wine is the finest in the world.

English people would eat snails and frogs legs if they came in batter with chips.

Originally posted by alchresearch
.
French cheese and wine is the finest in the world.

Funny, - the world's best sparkling wine award just went to a vinyard in......Sussex !! :D

And I'd agree about the French making the smelliest cheese in the world.....caught a whiff of it last Saturday on Fargate :gag: , but they have nothing to compare with a properly matured Cheddar.

BTW do the French ever wash their hands ? None of the stalls on Fargate I looked at had any hygene facilities :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Greybeard
And I'd agree about the French making the smelliest cheese in the world.....caught a whiff of it last Saturday on Fargate :gag: , but they have nothing to compare with a properly matured Cheddar.


In the same way that we have nothing that comes close to Brie, Roquefort, Camambert, etc. etc.

You sound like my grandad, he wouldn't eat sweetcorn because it was "foreign food", bless him.

Was just listening to a debate about the state of the Anglo/French relationship triggered by the Olympic Bid. I think it's safe to assume that we don't particularly like each other and never really have but... apparently the French would concede that us English are 'cutting edge' and 'trendy'

It got me thinking and wondering how other nations perceive us English (not necessarily British - yes i know the title says Britannia- overlook that fact!)

I lived in Germany for a few years and must admit i quite liked there way of life and culture among the younger people anyhow - This, despite my perceived mis-conceptions.

So, how are the English generally viewed around the world?

from my experience, people i've met from other countries have mentioned : that we like to drink a lot, we are easy, we are yobs (football fans) and we are stuck up but very polite !!

Lived in the states for a while and they tend to love us! Although apparently we all live in London.

Other common myths were that we have yellow teeth, eat bad food but take e's like they are asprin

Originally posted by harris
Lived in the states for a while and they tend to love us! Although apparently we all live in London.

oh yes definately! i was always the (reluctant) centre of attention out there. they didn't understand it when i put tuna on a jacket potato tho? lovely people tho!

however, the best line i heard when i was out there was 'i didn't know scotland was connected to england?'

what was i supposed to say to that ??

Originally posted by Lee1979
however, the best line i heard when i was out there was 'i didn't know scotland was connected to england?'


I'll see that and raise you "Where in the UK is Switzerland ?"

Bless 'em, but they are nice genuine people the Yanks, if they say "come round for dinner" they actually mean it, they come and fetch you, not like here where we say it to be polite and then hope they don't turn up.

I have always liked the French, and enjoyed their cuisine, fine wines, 'existentialist' novels and sultry-eyed mademoiselles. I have been known to listen to the impressionistic harmonies of Debussy, whilst munching a croque monsieur, and I have even had lessons in their martial art, Boxe Francaise-Savate [kick-boxing]. Of course, they are the most wretched surrender-monkeys when needed, and they are mendaciousness personified. They tend to smell of raw sewage too, especially those from the south. On balance though, if one were to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the French, one must come down on their side.

They produced Brigitte Bardot. Enough said.

Originally posted by nick2
I'll see that and raise you "Where in the UK is Switzerland ?"

Bless 'em, but they are nice genuine people the Yanks, if they say "come round for dinner" they actually mean it, they come and fetch you, not like here where we say it to be polite and then hope they don't turn up.

yes yes yes !!! we brits really are a miserable (but geographically educated lot) aren't we ?

like when they say ohh i have a friend - Fred Smith he lives in London - and they expect you to go 'ohhh Fred yes of course, lovely man, know him well....etc

The funny thing about the French is they are first to critic other countries, but forget that these countries are the reason they do not speak German. If the french had won the battle of Trafalgar would they have had a special day blue team Vs Red Team or would it have been France Vs England. They forget how good we are too them. We may be a bit too politically correct for our own good. How can they critic us.

Cheers
Beighton

Originally posted by timo
...They produced Brigitte Bardot. Enough said.
Timo you old stick in the mud, Bardot?...

...you should bring yourself more up to date, I much prefer the lovely Letitia Casta...

...hmmmm, now there's a very pleasant French dish.

:D

Originally posted by alchresearch
People call the French for eating snails, frogs and horses, but the British eat tripe, liver, black pudding, bulls testicles and Barnsley chops.

French cheese and wine is the finest in the world.
Barnsley Chop I have lived here 26 yrs never heard of the Barnsley Chop,well that say's it all Cheese & Wine then Frogs Legs, Snails, Horses. etc & the French eat Liver Patte.Never had Bulls Testicles,Black Pudding or Tripe.We should boycott all French products until Shirac apologieses to us all.English Food Rules.

more discussion and anecdotes please. :thumbsup:

Someone I worked with in America invited us to a BBQ, later in the night he got out his gun collection to show us, he was amazed that we hadn't even held a real gun, and found it quite incredible that the police wern't armed.

I'd like to remind everybody that Dear Departed Vivian Stanshall was the originator of the phrase "cool Britannia". 30 odd years ago. :clap:

And indeed had a bastardised jazz version of the song rule britannia which he performed.

i think the americans must be quite insular. Not necessarily ignorant of other places but other places have little effect generally on them whereas USA has a profound effect on others. Macdonalds anyone?

Originally posted by Greybeard
Funny, - the world's best sparkling wine award just went to a vinyard in......Sussex !! :D Just shows how much you know about good wines... 'Sparkling' wine... Why not Kritter whilst we're at it ? Or Cordial ? :hihi:

Dear Foo [my loyal 'Heinrich'], you must realise that I refer to the young Bardot as the spirit of beautiful, French womanhood. Your 'up to date' choice of Letitia Casta reveals you as a man of good taste and healthy appetites.

Captain Scarlet,
Your remark about sparkling wine equating to the likes of cordial made me smile. Have you ever heard of Champagne, dear heart? You will find that the very best, vintage stuff sparkles like the stars of the Milky Way.

Originally posted by timo
Captain Scarlet,
Your remark about sparkling wine equating to the likes of cordial made me smile. Have you ever heard of Champagne, dear heart? You will find that the very best, vintage stuff sparkles like the stars of the Milky Way. Champagne & sparkling wine are not the same thing... sparkling wine is what you get from Asda for 3 quid a bottle.
Champagne is what you hope to get for 17 quid a bottle back on the continent.

Congrat's to Seb Coe and the team, they really gave it to Chirac "Up the Jaquesy".
The end of Chirac for his petulant comments - - was good to see their team weeep!
May see a resurection of Blairish popularity, until he screws up the necessary building program.

Great News That We Got The Olympics.I Was Disappointed On The BBC's Live Coverage.They Should Have Showed More Pictures Of The Desponded French Mob.
Don't Know Which Is Better-Getting The Olympics Or The Fact We Beat The French At Something!
And On Top Of That Stevie G Staying At The 'Pool.Made My Dinnertime!

get your cheap t-shirts (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/spookygonk/2012_big.jpg)

As I mentioned before( but the thread is now lost),
the fact that we knocked the French Olympic bid into a cocked hat is simply fantastic.

Chirac can go back to his excellent cuisine, and dine on the ashes of defeat!

"Old" Timo may be a bit of a stick in the mud but if he was stuck in the mud with B.Bardot , he'd probably stick there for ever and a day.
[ When I was 15 . I sneaked into an X film to see B.Bardot in a film called , I think , 'A Light Across the Street'. You could actually see the bottom half of one breast ! Very daring for that time. I told the lads , next day at school and that night one of them came with me as I couldn't wait to see it again. Yes , Bardot was really something in those days and caused a lot of insomnia in teenage boys. So , the French do have some things to be proud of ; her and Piaf ].

Has anybody noticed how Chirac is becoming more and more like a Gallic version of Prince Phillip? I think senility is encroaching on the old buffer. Perhaps the poor old boy will be locked up soon in the former leaders' home for the terminally gaga. He could take tea with Thatcher until his dying day. Alternatively he could be allowed to canter around the world insulting people in a comedy fashion like Phil the Greek, without whom the world would be a duller place by far.

Originally posted by joyphil
Chirac is becoming more and more like a Gallic version of Prince Phillip?
Marvellous..

Time for another tribute to
Phil The Greek ... (http://www.rocknroll.f9.co.uk/advice/princephillipthegreek.html)
:clap:

Utter poetry. I'd forgotten the telling that fat wannabe astronaut to lose weight. Can just imagine the Buck House tea party to which Chirac gets invited by mistake. Him and Phil trading fanciful and aphoristic insults over canapes. Twould be a beautiful thing to witness.

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
Champagne & sparkling wine are not the same thing... sparkling wine is what you get from Asda for 3 quid a bottle.
Champagne is what you hope to get for 17 quid a bottle back on the continent.


£17.00 ?? I could be persuaded to spend that much, - possibly more, on a bottle of Highland Malt, but not I fear on a bottle of fizzy French plonk hiding behind an exclusive label. Champange is surely no more than a sparkling wine produced in a specific area of France ?

It's true I know nothing about wine. but the award to that Sussex vinyard was given by those who do know something.....quite possibly more than you. :rolleyes: ;)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1517604,00.html

Looks like Chirac's not the only one with problems

http://www.nothingtodo.co.uk/view.php?id=1303