Comments on: French stench reaches London http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 16:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Frank Lee Scarlett http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1635560 Frank Lee Scarlett Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1635560 Ah, come on. The French have been joyously thumbing their noses at John Bull's sneering for centuries. And farting in their general direction. I thought the Paris PD did rather a nice job of trolling them in the following statement: "[…] the gas posed no health risks but warned that it smelled like a mixture of sweat, garlic and rotten eggs." Substitute drains for rotten eggs and you're reading the stereotypical reaction of a John Bull Briton on his or her first (and probably, last) visit to Paris. It's up there with "Coachman, the postilion has been struck by lightning" among snort-inducing literary clichés. Ah, come on. The French have been joyously thumbing their noses at John Bull’s sneering for centuries. And farting in their general direction.

I thought the Paris PD did rather a nice job of trolling them in the following statement:

“[…] the gas posed no health risks but warned that it smelled like a mixture of sweat, garlic and rotten eggs.”

Substitute drains for rotten eggs and you’re reading the stereotypical reaction of a John Bull Briton on his or her first (and probably, last) visit to Paris. It’s up there with “Coachman, the postilion has been struck by lightning” among snort-inducing literary clichés.

]]> By: TheMudshark http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1635069 TheMudshark Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1635069 They´re awfully delicate people too. I can just picture them all drenched in tears over four or five mildly offensive jokes on boingboing. They´re awfully delicate people too. I can just picture them all drenched in tears over four or five mildly offensive jokes on boingboing.

]]> By: Chauncey Scott http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634944 Chauncey Scott Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634944 How could a gas that smells like B/O and eggs be harmless? How could a gas that smells like B/O and eggs be harmless?

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634589 Antinous / Moderator Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634589 Don't remind me. Last year was the worst. We were blanketed by the stench almost daily for about a month. Don’t remind me. Last year was the worst. We were blanketed by the stench almost daily for about a month.

]]> By: Luther Blissett http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634198 Luther Blissett Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634198  Tell this YarYar Binks and Anakin, do ya? ;)  Tell this YarYar Binks and Anakin, do ya? ;)

]]> By: Luther Blissett http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634195 Luther Blissett Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634195 Methanethiol, aka methyl mercaptane. Also a main ingredient of bad breath. Alternative headline: "+100k Brits calling the police because of bad french breath!" Methanethiol, aka methyl mercaptane. Also a main ingredient of bad breath.

Alternative headline: “+100k Brits calling the police because of bad french breath!”

]]> By: kroeghe http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634150 kroeghe Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634150 Yay, let's make some xenophobic jokes about the French, it's not like they're real people anyway. Yay, let’s make some xenophobic jokes about the French, it’s not like they’re real people anyway.

]]> By: Brian http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1634033 Brian Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1634033 If it smelled of rotten eggs it probably contained some hydrogen sulfide, which is not a harmless gas... If it smelled of rotten eggs it probably contained some hydrogen sulfide, which is not a harmless gas…

]]> By: Chris Hogan http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633975 Chris Hogan Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633975 "What a dreadful smell!" said the uninitiated stranger. "It is the smell of the Continent, sir!" replied the man of experience. And so it was. (Frances Trollope) “What a dreadful smell!” said the uninitiated stranger. “It is the smell of the Continent, sir!” replied the man of experience. And so it was. (Frances Trollope)

]]> By: peregrinus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633968 peregrinus Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633968 zoiks! zoiks!

]]> By: TokenFrenchDude http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633953 TokenFrenchDude Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633953 Hey ! Hey !

]]> By: Joseph Francis http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633951 Joseph Francis Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633951 At least it's not the Salton Sea this time. At least it’s not the Salton Sea this time.

]]> By: Wreckrob8 http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633918 Wreckrob8 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633918 Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

]]> By: big blue nation http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633902 big blue nation Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633902 very DeLillo very DeLillo

]]> By: peregrinus http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633903 peregrinus Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633903 Ai fahrt in yur jeneral directsion. Ai fahrt in yur jeneral directsion.

]]> By: nixiebunny http://boingboing.net/2013/01/22/french-stench-reaches-london.html#comment-1633904 nixiebunny Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=207553#comment-1633904 That's what the French are saying, at least. We know the truth. That’s what the French are saying, at least. We know the truth.

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