Why Say Pardon My French When Swear – The phrase “pardon my French” has been commonly used for 120 years to excuse yourself from swearing or using offensive language. Do the French swear more authentically than others? What did this term originally mean and where did it come from?
To understand the influence of French on English, we have to go back to the 11th century. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror of Normandy invaded England, about 10,000 French words filtered into English.
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Although he tried to learn English (at the age of 43), William gave up. Within 20 years of the Normans coming to power in England, almost all local religious institutions were French-speaking. The aristocracy brought with it a French-speaking aristocracy, and French became the language of the aristocracy. Then, when the English nobles lost their possessions in France in 1204, they began to adopt English as their first language as a matter of national pride.
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Although English adopted French, about three-quarters of the 10,000 words used in French are still used together with words taken from other languages. For example, the word “law and order” shows how words with different origins have entered our language. “Law” comes from Old Norse and was used before 1000. “Order” is of later origin, entering Middle English via Old French and Latin between 1175 and 1225.
, which is a type of wooden clog worn by French and Breton peasants. As industrialization swept through Europe, disgruntled farmers soon discovered that when thrown into a machine, a sabot was very effective at stopping dangerous factories. Do you like saving coupons for discounts? Since then, this word has been translated as “cut off piece”.
It is the interplay of languages that gives us so many interesting English words. For example, the word “forgive” was used before 900 and comes from Middle and Old English. “Pardon” is of Old French origin and has been used in English since the mid-15th century. Although synonyms have the same meaning, they often differ slightly between them.
Thanks to languages like French and others, English has developed into a rich and diverse global language. So why do some people say “excuse my French”, which can be a bit offensive? This phrase was originally used in England when someone used French words when speaking to someone who may not understand French. Because of the history of conflict between France and England, ‘Forgive my France’ became a dig against France. But instead of using phrases like “pardon my French” maybe we should say
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Struggling to find the right word? A brief writing consultancy specializing in plain English writing for government and corporate clients. Find out how we can help you with your next project. Call us on 02 9238 6638. The phrase ‘excuse/pardon my French’ has been used for years to excuse rude speakers and is also heard in popular TV and film franchises. But where does this strange phrase come from?
Since the Norman Conquest in 1066, the two countries have been at war, and this rivalry led to the full force of the Hundred Years’ War. Even the French Revolution did not ease the tension between the two countries, as can be seen in this quote from British wartime commander Horatio Nelson:
“First of all, you must clearly obey orders without trying to form your own opinion of their honesty. Second, you must consider all your enemies who speak ill of your king, and third, you must hate the French as you hate the devil.”
The British response to the French Revolution soon turned negative, as can be seen in the cartoon above
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The phrase “Pardon my French” or “Excuse my French” was originally used to excuse French that listeners might not understand, with this example from an 1830 edition of The Lady magazine: “Bless me, how. You are growing fat! – Absolutely round as a sphere: – Soon you will be enbon-point (excuse my French) like your dear father, important…”
However, due to the suffering of what the French have spread in English life, anything that is considered indecent or impolite is labeled as “French”, regardless of whether it is true or not, and regardless of whether it is used expression “Pardon my French” or “Excuse me”. French” was recorded in the 1901 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, with the first example of vulgarity being EJ Wakefield’s 1845 Travelogue Adventures in New Zealand I, who explained that “an angry chief would have no ‘bad French’ to describe his motives . “
This Englishman takes a dig at their longtime rival through the very speech itself, which is not unique to the sentence, for example “Leaving in France” is leaving a rude party. English is not the only language that plays with words like this, and very similar French phrases have become popular, such as the equivalent of “Escape in the English style”. The nickname for condoms in England, “French letters”, became “English caps” in French.
Although this competition has become more friendly in modern times, some of these phrases have stuck – of course, everyone knows what a “French kiss” is.
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We use cookies on this website to deliver content to you, customize content and advertising, provide social media features and analyze our traffic. By clicking “I agree” you agree to the use of cookies. For more information on cookies and how to manage them, click hereI agree I have a weakness for bad language. To me, a conversation without an explanation or two is like a meal without salt and pepper. It fell a bit flat.
I try to keep my language polite in front of children, in job interviews and in meetings. But the rest of the time I consider myself something like a
In the creative art of curses. I’ll leave you with a real-life example: suffice it to say, I words are loosely spiced.
As soon as I reached a basic level of fluency in French, I tried to speak French by adding some optional words to my vocabulary. Nothing shocking or horrible, I just want to be myself and say it like the local language.
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It is a dangerous area for foreigners. It’s not that the French don’t swear. They did well. But there is a time and a place. And they don’t expect you, as a native speaker and a foreigner who came to their country to learn the language and culture, to use translations—much less to say dirty words.
“Les gros mots”* is an oath. Why these words are called “big” instead of “bad” in French remains a mystery. They are generally not long, but shorter: merde, putain, con.
My early transition into impure French earned me a few raised eyebrows and the odd moment of stunned silence. But what really gets me into trouble is when I try to excuse my bad language by jokingly saying, “Excuse my French!”
“I’m sorry—what?” Ask my partner, a family friend who likes to brush up on his English conversation whenever we meet. He seems to be facing. I explained that we often use this word in English to excuse bad language.
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“No, no,” I hastened to explain. “It’s supposed to be funny – like swear words aren’t actually English.” I could see he didn’t get it. He shook his head in disbelief.
“I have heard the English insult the French in many ways, but this is—le comb.” Since I’m not sure what all the fuss is about**, I just shrugged and said again that it wasn’t meant as an insult – just a joke.
“So we’re joking. I’m not sure most French people would find it funny,” he said, still shaking his head sadly.
I happened to discover that the French, for all their arrogance, could be wounded by the slings and arrows of an infamous humor. Their pride can be very hurt, but not fun. Especially when speaking in English. My dad often precedes an F-bomb or profanity tangent with a symbol to ask listeners to “pardon my French.” You’ve probably known someone who does this too, or you’ve seen it in the movies or on TV. The point is that the sentence excuses the speaker for using certain vulgar words under the false pretense that they are from a foreign language.
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The phrase appeared in the United States in this usage in the early 1800s, and linguists think it comes from a more literal usage. This means that English speakers throw French words or phrases into the conversation – either to express their culture, improvement or society, or because sometimes only French phrases are accurate.
– Then apologize if the audience doesn’t know the words or doesn’t speak the language. An example of this use is given in
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