Strange truths about France

The Unbelievable Truth is a Radio 4 comedy show where panellists have to give a lecture on a topic which is entirely false apart from five hidden truths.

One topic on the show this week was the French.

I spotted one of the truths but here are all five.

• Croissants were invented in Austria. (This is the one I knew – hence the name viennoiseries for croissants, pains au chocolat etc
• In Paris it was against the law for women to wear trousers until 2013. Although not enforced, the law was still on the statute book. In theory women needed permission from the local police.
• There are no stop signs in Paris. There are only traffic lights. There was one stop sign at the exit of a construction site but it kept getting stolen for its novelty value.
• There is a word – bouleganisme – to describe violence breaking out during pétanque matches. It was invented by the press in 2007.
• The etch-a-sketch was invented by a Frenchman. Electrical engineer André Cassagne came up with the toy in the 1950s. In French it is l’ardoise magique.