I should be working...
...but I can't stop wondering where the phrase "pardon my French" originated, in regards to swearing.
Help me out, people.
Help me out, people.
posted by Jeff at 9:53 AM
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
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2 Comments:
Does this help?
Meaning: Excuse my foul language.
Example: Pardon my French, but if the neighbors don't like the lovely purple color I painted the house, they can kiss my ass.
Origin: The French have been enemies of Britain for the past thousand years (on and off), and are even today thought of with some suspicion by a lot of British people.
Perhaps because of this, the British (a very polite society) have considered the French to be vulgar and rude. To say "pardon my French" is to say that you are about to behave as a Frenchman would, i.e. you are about to say something vulgar.
That does indeed help, thank you.
I love phrases that come from hatred between peoples or racism that we don't even think about today. Like "what a gyp!" Don't get Frank started on that one!
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