French sayings

[prunesRplums]

Does anyone know any French people who say 'ooh la la'? Because I am assured by a French person that no-one does and I am quite distressed.

[SteveD]

Yes:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php? t=113441

[Octavius]

Yes I think Po or Dipsy from the Tellytubbies might have been french.

[maximo]

The only time I've heard it said is when the person is talking to a child or a pet, as in "Oh la la...c'est pas bien ca!" , said in a mildly reproachful voice. I personally have never said it, I don't think. It's one of those expressions the english speaking world attributes to us, be it because it was once used ( "sacrebleu!"), or maybe appears in french text books, which are often "skimmed" of the more popular/informal language. "Oh la la"would be replaced by a swear word, in the spoken world (well, for me anyway! lol)
Btw, I swear I'm going to kill the next person who asks me "what's the french for va va voom?" ;-)

[dankeith]

she said "OOH la la" not "oh la la".
French people say oh la la quite a lot in the way of "oh bother" but real french people DO NOT say OOH LA LA in the way that is sexually meant.
Never heard it, never said it !

[Top_Gooner]

All French people say it, all of the time, but they don't admit it.

[JillP]

Come, come, Top_Gooner, that is like saying that all Northerners say "By 'ecky thump!"

[greenrook]

I'm an Englishman living in Darkest Cornwall, and my Cornish mate says 'Ooh Arrrh' all the time but I'm beginning to think he's taking the rise out of me.....

[JillP]

Nenny, nenny, Mester Greenrook, that is indeed how Cornish men speak. I mean, did not The Wurzels record a song titled, "Oooh, Arrrh, Oooh, Arrrh, 'ey!'?

[brightbreeze]

I feel i must point out that the wurzles are from Somerset not Cornwall.

[SteveD]

Go here:

http://french.about.com/library/listening/bllg -accents-listen.htm

Click on "Listen". After just one minute, she says "Ooh l� l�".

Myth busted!

[JillP]

Thank you brightbreeze, I should have remembered, 'Oh, We All Come Down from Zummerzet!'