Vocabulary alone isn't enough. To survive in the most sophisticated - and the most scathing - nation on Earth you will need to understand the many peculiarities of the (very peculiar) French culture. And for that you needA Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi.

If you want to fit in with the French you'll have to know how to deal with sardonic waiters; why French children hate Charlemagne; the etiquette of kissing, joke-telling and drinking songs, what to do with a bidet, the correct recipe for asalade nicoiseand, of course, how to convey absolute, shattering indifference with a single syllable (Bof!).

Charles Timoney, the author ofPardon My French, provides a practical, pleasurable guide to the charms of the Gallic people - from their daily routines to their peerless gesticulations, from their come-ons to their put-downs. Read on and put theoh la laback into your Frenchvacances. Your inner gaul will thank you for it.