Clever shop-name puns and wordplay to spot in France

One of the obstacles often reported by expats living in France is coming to terms with French humour – or, more precisely, not being able to express one’s own sense of fun or wit due to the language barrier.

However, with time, patience and concerted effort, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a chuckle even without speaking to someone. The French love a jeu de mots – a wordplay – as much as anyone, especially when it comes to shop names. Connexion featured the country’s penchant for punny hairdressing salon names back in April 2025.

Earlier this summer, I spotted a brilliant one in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), not a hairdresser’s but a tearoom/vegetarian restaurant. Its genius lay not only in the wordplay but also in how the pun described the whole purpose and function of the business itself: Namasthé. 

By combining namaste, the ancient Sanskrit greeting expressing reverence, with good old thé (tea), you know you are guaranteed a warm welcome with your cuppa. A clever pun, without silliness.

Another popular wordplay technique is alliteration – when consonant sounds in two or more neighbouring words or syllables are repeated – and it is used as the slogan for one of France’s most famous sweets, Les Anis de Flavigny.

This hard-boiled, aniseed-flavoured dragée from Burgundy is known as Un bien bon bonbon (a really nice sweet).

Until you next come across a tittersome wordplay when you’re out and about, have a laugh at Brian Butterfield’s ‘bonbonbonbons’ here.

Have you spotted any punny signs or business names while in France? Share them with us at feedback@connexionfrance.com