Why is the saying excuse my french

This English expression is used only in informal contexts and does not, as it may appear, relate to the French language in any way whatsoever. The phrase is generally said after someone has sworn or said something inappropriate.

The first record of the expression used in the same way it is now dates to the year in the novel All Trees were Green by Michael Harrison. The expression however is said to date back to the 19th century. At this time well-educated English speakers often used French words and would then apologise for having done this as many of those listening would not understand the word. English is not the only language to put the historic animosity between France and England to linguistic use.

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Video News Amazing France. My Region. English and French. English speaking. More from French news. Le Bleuet de France - origins of the French cornflower tradition. It is therefore unnecessary to invoke the centuries-old adversarial relationship between the English and the French.

The form pardon my French is first attested in Randolph, a Novel , by the American writer and critic John Neal :. And the result is not, what he so pleasantly predicted in his preface. This story was republished in as part of the book The Twelve Nights. My dear Mr. Heartwell, you are come to see me at last. Bless me, how fat you are grown! As an adjective, embonpoint means plump , as a noun, plumpness ; it is a borrowing from the French noun embonpoint , which nowadays translates negatively as corpulence , from the phrase en bon point , which had the positive sense in good condition , in good health.

Pardon my French : I could not be so bold to say it in English.