Sarcasm.

I'm afraid it can also be a sign of a poor upbringing.  

Just this morning, when I asked my French teacher if it were correct in France to break numbers down into pairs - forty-three - sixty-nine etc. as it is with telephone numbers, she sarcastically refused to understand the question.  So I got out my bank card and explained: To which she told me - and the class - that nobody pays with a bank card over the telephone.  This came as a surprise to most of the class and certainly would to all the people I buy books, records and model cars from!

No, sarcasm can be the first resort of spoilt brat - and the French.

I can understand that. But I guess it also depends on the question. To some a question may be taken as stupid but in some cases it might just be an ignorant question. Big difference. With the latter, a sarcastic answer may not be appropriate or just plain rude. 

@perrone1 Indeed Tony, but I ask you, if you never paid for anything by giving you bank details verbally over the telephone, would you assume that nobody else does - especially if you are in a room of 12 people from all manner of country around the world?  Might you - being French - expect that everybody should aspire to be like you?

Posted by: @charles-rockett

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@perrone1 Indeed Tony, but I ask you, if you never paid for anything by giving you bank details verbally over the telephone, would you assume that nobody else does - especially if you are in a room of 12 people from all manner of country around the world?  Might you - being French - expect that everybody should aspire to be like you?

I agree with you totally Charles! I try never to assume anything; especially in this day and age. So many folks do not want to use a credit card on eBay or anywhere on the net. I pay every bill online, no paper, stamps, envelopes or checks. I've not ever had the first problem; or with PayPal and eBay.

@perrone1 I know just from reading your comments here over the years, that you would never assume another person's conduct - hence the rhetorical question. One of my major bug-bears is the lack of curiosity and diversity (politics aside) one finds in our day. Especially in regard to the new digital era.

I always say, in the past one would go to a drinks party and meet a teacher, a painter, a company director and so forth. Conversation was stimulating. Today, you only find groups of accountants or lawyers. Everyone in the room is a liberal or in another room; a conservative. The conversation is dull and made worse by group jargon and clique sarcasm.  To return to the original post, I would say the best sign of a healthy brain is curiosity and interest, whereas sarcasm can so often be a sign of the opposite.

Charles, I agree with your fine example but there is a difference between stubborn declarations of resistance and stupidity. 

I am really sorry to appear as a dog with a bone.  But there was nothing in any of my points that spoke of resistance to digital technology nor change. That is assumed.

My point was that a perfectly intelligent question regarding the use of French language - in a French class should be responded to with sarcasm and a false statement that it is irrelevant as nobody gives out numbers verbally - be they bank card numbers, licence plate numbers or identification card numbers.  A question that has since been answered by one of my French clients as being legitimate - that people in France do give numbers - bank card numbers too - in either pairs - quarante-trois - soixant-neuf - or individually quatre - trois - six - neuf.

Rather the recourse to sarcasm is excused by assuming the person who telephones an antiquarian book shop and orders a book they have seen the shop has - perhaps on-line - and pays for it over the 'phone must be a luddite and worthy of sarcastic ridicule.

Well...I thought the original post was funny. My response was, "Sure! I'll bet that works all the time!"

@jkuvakas   Très drôle 🤣 .

@david-green David I'm afraid your post - which is true - caught me in one of my 'what the @#!!/!! am I doing in France' moments. I do apologise. 

And if you need to quit...

@charles-rockett 

No need to apologize. I know where you were coming from, and besides, we all know times when sarcasm is not appropriate, despite the desire to use it.

@david-green Believe me, I was sorely tempted to demonstrate how well my French had come along, outside the classroom, but managed to refrain from doing so.