Why do British people dislike French people?

Britain and France have had a long history of not being good neighbours...I think we each annoy the other in equal parts!

In Britain we have derogatory names for French people in general...and I suspect that the French have a few for us?!

But, I think that the majority of both French and British people, understand that the nations are made of individuals just like us....neither better, or worse than us.

Stereotypes are not good, really.

The French stereotype is one where the men are mostly farmers, artists or barkeepers, that they drink too much red wine, they are arrogant. Women are all withered old farmers wives or very stylish to the point of being a catwalk model...and arrogant.! But that is a STEREOTYPE...there will be some farmers who are arrogant and drink red wine...but not EVERYONE!

What are the stereotypes that the French hold for the British?

Just remember that the majority of British people do not dislike you as an individual, that same as the majority of French people would not dislike Me as an individual...I just think that the long history of annoying each other won't disappear soon!!!

I'm part English and part French and I have seen both sides of this. There are some French who hate the British (particularly the Northern Irish and the English) and some who are absolutely wonderful and friendly.

Likewise there are British who hate the French and others who can't understand why there is any form of tension at all.

I fall into the "why must you be like that?" category. My Great Grandmother never knew I was part French and often expressed a hatred for the nation right in front of me. Her ill feelings go back to the war and I have found it is largely a generational thing but even amongst the younger generations I still encounter...not exactly a hostile feeling but not an altogether pleasant one either.

I would compare it to the English 'hating' the Scottish and vice versa. We don't actually -hate- each other but there is a historical competitive rivalry that lingers on. Some people take it to extreme levels and genuinely -do- resent an entire nation for no logically justifiable reason but most don't really feel hatred and anything said along the lines of "I hate the [insert random nation]" isn't meant as a malicious hate but more like a sibling rivalry.

There is also a Euro-skepticism in the UK and some of that has transferred across to a hatred of the European powers like France, Belgium, Germany and Sweden.

I'm British and I don't have a problem with France, we were allies in wars and we both supported each other, some British people are just bitter about the French though, no real reason, it's like most places, we British are just pretty bitter.

For centuries now England and France have fought so many wars against each other with England most if not all of them. There was something of a invasion on Saxon England in 1066 by the Normans but then as the name suggests they were Norsemen so don't really count as French at all.

At the battle of Agencourt the French taunted that they will cut off the first two fingers off of the English bowman, after the battle England left a few alive and the bowman retorted with the famous two finger salute allowing the survivors see that the Bowman's fingers were intact.

So there was deep resentment between the two countries for hundreds of years and it appears that its the French who hate le roast beufs not the other way round. So you little frog eating onion selling garlic breathed gealic cousin stick that in yer disc blu and smoke it.

Remember if the English really hated the French why do you think England have been fighting your wars for you for best part of 800 years.

Now France has again sided with le bosh and again it has put Mousier le Frog back in the "do do" with that silly bloody Euro doller, well this time England won't and can't help the French out, you made your bed and now France can get on with their E.U. Masters and a big bon voyage to you both.

Because the British and French had wars in the past.

My personal view is that British and French people are more alike than we care to admit. I think that when we look at the French we see a lot of ourselves in them and rather admit our shortcomings we project them onto the French. It probably works the other way as well.

British people hate French people because they are ugly, stupid, lazy and smell bad because they never wash. The French hate the British for the same reasons.

EDIT: @ A guy - we were allies in wars??????????????????? Even in the Falkland war it was French missiles that sank the British ships.

Basially through history. The 100 year war started it off. I am British and think French are fine. Also, I think we generally assume you are rude (not me). When people swear, afterwards,they say "excuse my french" and things like that.

Hairy people, stinky people, swarthy people, frog people, hairy people, nasty people, rude people, hairy people.

The French are basically ugly people.

France is the land of Blacks and Arabs.

The most Non-european country in Europe.

The french are better looking.