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How to Kiss French Style Sans Tongue
So I read this article on Worldhum all expecting to pick up some great French kissing tips. Perhaps glean some centuries-old secret about how to more adroitly maneuver your tongue to make the whole kissing experience more, well, romantic (I know, sounds kinda wussy, but you never know what you might learn and how certain tips might come in handy...so please no wise-cracks. At least I'm not reading Glamour or something).
Anyway, French kissing as we know it isn't really what this article is about. And in the end, I'm actually glad that's that case. Because the article helped confirm one suspicion that I've had for some time: that is the whole number of kisses per cheek thing is totally arbitrary. Yup, for years I've hung out with French friends, Norwegian friends, Czech friends, American friends who think they're Czech, and always when you meet the women, there is that moment when you have to do the kiss thing. And I can NEVER remember, is it one, or two, or three kisses? The answer is: it depends.
Here is what the writer, Terry Ward writes about the requisite number of kisses. And keep in mind, this is just France!
It depends on the region... In the southern city of Toulouse, for example, two kisses is the norm, while in some Parisian suburbs you'll be expected to give four and in the agricultural departement of Aveyron it's three.
One country and there are four ways to kiss. How messed up is that? If there are any entrepreneurial types out there listening I have an idea. A GPS-based system for telling you which region of which country you are in, and how many kisses are thus required. Maybe the whole apparatus is embedded in your skull and the number is burned onto your retina every time you meet a new girl. Just thinking out loud, people.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Blogs, France
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SkullyFM Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
Even for me, the number of kisses is a big mystery. By my parents, in the East of France, it's 2. By my wife's parents, in the West of France, it's 4.
2 year's ago I was working in the south of France and there it was 3.
Now I'm in Paris and it depends from where the people are coming from.
My solution is: give only 2 kisses and if you realize that some are missing just tell "Oh! More? How lucky I am". People will laugh and you'll get some good vibes... ^^
Erik Olsen Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
Ha! Exactly. Unpredictable. What are we to do?
jon Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
I always find the bigger problem, after spending any time in France, is trying to remember how you greet women in the UK - shaking hands just suddenly seems a bit wrong.
SkullyFM Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
It happened once to me in London when a german friend had her birthday. I just kissed her on the cheeks and she told me "Oh, right! You're French"... It was so strange.
Chris Abraham Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
my friend cheryl started the habit amongst us that when we are approaching to kiss, one of us whispers into the other's ear at the point of first kiss announcing how many kisses are coming to pass. a breathy three or four is the general answer although there have been times of two and times of six.
Glenn Rhold Dec 18th 2005 5:07PM
I'm all for the tongue.