The Frenchwant to attack, the Americans want to bomb, and the British want to have another meeting.

-Anonymous
  US diplomat commenting on the war in Bosnia. Quoted by William Safire in the NewYork Times, 27  Jul.

The French Revolution is merely the herald of a far greaterand much more solemn revolution, whichwill be the last† The hour has come for founding the Republic of equalsöthat great refuge open to every man.

-Babeuf, Fran c° ois Noe«  l
Conjuration des EŁ   gaux.

The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than theyare.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans
  Essays, no.26,'Of Seeming Wise'.

Mayonnaise, n.One of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion.

-Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett
  The Cynic's Word Book. Retitled  The Devil's Dictionary (1911).

Our special task, as French Canadians, is to insert into America the spirit of Christian France.

-Bourassa, Henri
  La Langue, Gardienne de la Foi.

It is not that the French are not profound, but they all express themselves so well that we are led to take their geese for swans.

-Brooks,VanWyck
  From  A Writer's Notebook.

My scrofulous French novel On grey paper with blunt type!

-Browning, Robert
  Dramatic Lyrics,'Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister'.

Speak in French when you can't think of the English for a thingöturn out your toes as you walköand remember who you are!

-Dodgson
  The Red Queen's advice to  Alice as she begins the chess game. Through the Looking-Glass, ch.2,'The Garden of Live Flowers'.

'Do you know Languages? What's the French for fiddle- de-dee?' 'Fiddle-de-dee's not English,'Alice replied gravely. 'Who ever said it was?'said the Red Queen. Alice thought she saw a way out of the difficulty this time.'If you'll tell me what language'fiddle-de-dee' is, I'll tell you the French for it!'she exclaimed triumphantly. Butthe Red Queendrewherself up rather stiffly, and said 'Queens never make bargains.' 197

-Dodgson
Through the Looking-Glass, ch.9,'Queen  Alice'.

Oh, the Germans classify, but the French arrange.

-Cather,Willa Sibert
  Death Comes to the Archbishop, prologue.

To God I speak Spanish, to women Italian, to men French, and to my horseöGerman.

-CharlesV
Attributed.

Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne, Entuned in hir nose ful semely, And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly, After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe, For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.

-Chaucer, Geoffrey
  Canterbury  Tales,'General Prologue', l.122^6.

Imagine the Lord talking French! Aside from a few odd wordsin Hebrew,Itook it forgrantedthat God had never spoken anything but the most dignified English.

-Day, Clarence Shepard
  Life With Father,'Father interferes'.

The French will only be united under the threat of danger. How else can one govern a country that produces 246 different types of cheese?

-de Gaulle, Charles
  Speech. Quoted in Les Mots du Ge¤  ne¤  ral (1962).

Bouillabaisse is only good because cooked by the French, who, if they cared to try, could produce an excellent and nutritious substitute out of cigar stumps and empty matchboxes.

-Douglas, (George) Norman
Siren Land,'Rain on the Hills'.

Je suis autant Chinois que Fran c° ais. I am as much Chinese as French.

-Flaubert, Gustave
  Letter to Mme Louise Colet, 8  Aug.

Avery unique cat†a French Canadian Hinayana Buddhist Beat Catholic savant.

-Ginsberg, Allen
  Of  Jack Kerouac. This Fabulous Century1950^1960.

During my seven years in office,I was in love with seventeen million French women† I know this declaration will inspire irony and that English language readers will find it very French.

-Giscard d'Estaing,Vale¤  ry
  Le Pouvoir et la  vie.

  You get all the French-fries the President can't get to.

-Gore, Al(bert,Jr)
  On being Vice-President. In the NewYork Times, 8  Apr.

Weep not for little Le¤  onie Abducted by a French Marquis! Though loss of honour was a wrench Just think how it's improved her French.

-Graham, Harry
  More Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes,'Compensation'.