One of the refreshing things about the French is their bluntness, as compared to the euphemisms that increasingly pollute American English.
I was reminded of this over the weekend when I went for a haircut. The coiffeur (itself used as a euphemism in America, the word simply means "haircutter" here, not "hair stylist" or "beauty technician" or the like) asked me if I wanted some "wax" in my hair. Not "styling cream" or "pomade," just "wax." Yet it's the same stuff that gets dressed up in fancier language back home.
The most blatant example of this is one I see every day on my way to work. Next to the emergency brake in the Metro car is a sign in five languages. In French, German, Spanish and Italian, it says, in exactly those words, "All abuse will be punished." ("Tout abus sera puni.")
In English, it reads, "Incorrect use will lead to prosecution."
Eh.
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