Why do we say 'excuse my french' after swearing?

Question

Why do we say 'excuse my french' after swearing?

Answer 1

When the normans, invaded England, in 1066, Anglo Saxon, which was the English of the day was outlawed and not allowed to be used in official documents, courts and buisness. This got relaxed after a while, and English derived from the combination of Middle French and Anglo Saxon. Even though Anglo Saxon was no longer outlawed, it was still considered vulgar and only lower classed people (anglo saxon and not the Norman descendants) would speak it.



I believe the phrase started because many Anglo Saxon words have continued to be considered vulgar, but the English in their quaint manner, blame the French for the words, intead of their own Anglo Saxon roots.

Answer 2

A coy phrase used when someone who has used a swear-word attempts to pass it off as French. The coyness comes from the fact the both the speaker and listener are of course both well aware the swear-word is indeed English.



This is mid 20th century English in origin. A version of it is found in Michael Harrison's All Trees were Green, 1936:



"A bloody sight better (pardon the French!) than most."



The precise phrase comes just a few years later in S.P.E. Tract IV., 1940:



"Excuse my French! (forgive me my strong language)."

Answer 3

Well personaly i dont say that.... perhaps im not posh enough lol

But i thinkits a combination of everything that has already been said.... But i think it was also a backhanded way to associate the french language as being somethink dirty, foul and such.... perhaps something to do with the battles we had witht he french, perhap that the French were always see as very 'easy' about sex ( Moulin-Rouge ).

Daft thing is our french words revolve around sex whereas French Canadian swearing is mainly relvoed around religion or parts of the church... im not sure about French from France swear words, so i can not comment, but i guess they are the same religous swear-words.

Answer 4

It's funny...we say that in Italy, too!

France has long been a model of sophistication and elegance. Think to the french fashion, to the french cuisine, to the french artists. Their same language sounds polite and elegant, in line with this model. That's why, for fun, we present an extremely unpolite expression (said in Italian) as a french. I believe you imply the same joke.

Answer 5

Just a way of getting at the French.

- The French people are actually Germanic-Celts.

Answer 6

i don't know. but it would be more accurate to say excuse my german. most of our nastiest swear words like the f, c, s, words are of german origins. Since i'm not british, will one of you mates from the mother country tell me why "bloody" is a nasty adjective, etc, in great britain? I was listening to an indy media politics program. and a guest was saying f this and that. when he said bloody, the interviewer stopped him and apologized to the radio audience and said sorry for swearing.

Answer 7

Some English-speakers stereotype the French as permissive about anything sexy or rude whereas English people are seen as being reserved. So the French may use a word they shouldn't whereas English don't.

Answer 8

I though it a court of law you had to swear in english. Are you sure it is in French ?

Answer 9

Je ne suis pas sûr où cette parole est venue de. Mais je pense qu'il a été utilisé parce que les mauvais mots n'ont jamais le vrai sens juste comme la langue française. Vous l'obtenez ? C'est un concept dur pour saisir.



J'espère que ma réponse vous a aidé hors.



Pour dire "Excuse My French" en français vous diriez « Excuse mon français »

Answer 10

Well i dont know, but i started to use that frace when i started to hear it in films, but they might say excuse my french after swearing bacause french starts with f and most of the swearing begins with f so mayb thats y they say that...........lol

Answer 11

the americans at one time resented the french and thought they were were vile people, i guess, and if you used bad language it was like saying that "only french people say things like that so excuse me".



people still say it but i think the americans and the french resolved whatever differences they had.

Answer 12

It's no 'exuse my french' it's 'excuse THE french'.



French as in French people.



Am i funny or what?

I'm funny right?

I thought so.

As long as that IS funny not just haha your...funny?

Question mark or apostrophe?

Noodles or pasta?

English or French?

Do you see where i'm going?

You do?

Good.



Nark!

Answer 13

Because we know we've just betrayed our own good sense and intelligence by using bad language... and we quickly move to cover it with weak humor- hoping also to recover a sense of class by relating the swearing- ridiculously enough- to the beautiful and classy French language.

Answer 14

Because French has more naughty words than other languages, and a native speaker can insult you in more ways than in any other language - and he can do it non-stop day and night and never repeat himself.

Answer 15

its an english phrase because we hate the french - mainly due to various wars in the 1800s etc.

Answer 16

its not french

Answer 17

Please Excuse My French

Answer 18

my grandma