Tue, 9 February 2010
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Social anthropologist Fox says British flirting tends to be alcohol-fuelled
Brits are boorish, French flatter, Scandinavians play it cool, and Italians get intimate. Everyone does it, but how we flirt depends largely on our culture and a host of unspoken rules.
"Basically we are descended from a long line of successful flirts and it is hard-wired into our brains," social anthropologist Kate Fox told AFP. "If we didn't initiate contact with the opposite sex, then we wouldn't reproduce, and the species would die out."
With Valentine's Day this Tuesday, those searching for a soul mate or just for a bit of fun will be sharpening their skills, ready for a bit of banter and eyelash battering all in the hope of catching one of Cupid's arrows.
*quote1*But beware of injury to tender parts. For the subtle rules of flirting vary so much, that foreigners are often caught unawares unsure if they are being courted or insulted.
British girls, used to the drunken pub environment back home, can be taken aback during trips across the Channel to France unused to a sudden rush of compliments and open flirtation.
France
"Frenchmen are less sexually obvious, there is less banter and they are more direct. They'll say cheesy things like 'you have really nice eyes'," said one young journalist.
It's also perfectly acceptable in France for men to walk up to a stranger in the street and ask them to go for a coffee, even at the risk of being knocked back.
*sidebar1*While draguer is French for 'picking someone up' or 'hitting on someone', the word séduction is something of a faux ami. It can mean persuading someone to go to bed with you, yes, but it is also used more generally in the sense of charming other people of either sex.
Here's a short introduction to our Renting a house or an apartment section for France.
Here's a short introduction to our Buying a house or apartment section for France.
From Gaelic clubs to Canadian Alumni organisations, there is bound to be an English-speaking club for you in France.
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