Adieu to "le ****"?

[3113]

Oh, no! France, say it ain't so! Story from here.

It goes without saying that France is a land that puts a certain value on kissing. The future of French kissing? French President Nicolas Sarkozy keeps his distance with a kiss and a wave. Hands get shaken; hands get kissed. And the light cheek-to-cheek peck, known as "la ****," is a social greeting, woven in at the very youngest age.

Some observes joke that before the French could ever give up such social graces, pigs would fly. But then ... swine flu.

With official publicity campaigns about the H1N1 virus, to directives on avoiding practically any close encounter of the corporal kind, the country has been put on alert as the flu season gets under way. In schools, teachers are telling their young charges to forgo the ****, and instead capture their displays of affection in heart-shaped greetings to slip into "**** boxes."

It is restraint that is easier to sell to young students than their older brothers and sisters. Some things, however, are finding an accepting audience: masks -- which do a pretty good job of discouraging just about any sort of kissing...But will the flu stop tradition cold? ..."The French are traditionally rebellious souls, they don't like to be told what to do," said Camille Hercot, a professor at the American University of Paris. "So if it is really important, and if there are rules in the offices, or if they get very scared they will, but otherwise they will say pfff."

 

[3113]

Holy....how did that happen? I swear I typed in "le B-I-S-E" in the title and elsewhere....why in the world would this forum that allows just about any other word to be typed in censor that one? The asterisks are not mine!

Incert "le b.i.s.e." where needed.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Holy....how did that happen? I swear I typed in "le B-I-S-E" in the title and elsewhere....why in the world would this forum that allows just about any other word to be typed in censor that one? The asterisks are not mine!

Incert "le b.i.s.e." where needed.

The one actor that played Doctor Who gets censored too. Lord knows why (or Manu, or Laurel).

 

[geronimo_appleby]

The one actor that played Doctor Who gets censored too. Lord knows why (or Manu, or Laurel).

yeah, similar name to a person who rents accommodation. weird innit.