2006-12-08 07:57:01 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Pardon my French as exclamation of apology for obscene language is from 1895 in Harper's Magazine. It is thought that the term French is employed in this sense as it already had a history of association with things considered vulgar. As far back as the early 16th century, French pox and the French disease were synonyms for genital herpes, and French-sick was another term for syphillis. The OED [Oxford English Dictionary] also equates the adjective French with "spiciness", as in French letter for "condom", French kiss (1923) and French (i. e. "sexually explicit") novels (from 1749).
2006-12-08 08:40:30 · answer #1 · answered by whtknt 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is a stereotype that French people curse a lot.
2006-12-08 16:00:05 · answer #2 · answered by Chanel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the French are negatively stereotyped by a lot of people. I can't say how deserved it is, though stereotypes tend to be unfair.
2006-12-08 15:58:35 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are pretending that what you heard was a foreign language and not actual cursing.
2006-12-08 16:05:14 · answer #4 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
eet ees very insulting to us French patriots when you do zees thing. So now I have fart*d and you may excuse my English! Oh ..mon Dieu .. I am so clever ... merci, merci, no more applause, pleese!
2006-12-08 17:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by JAT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nobody really knows, but it may have started with the magna carta, which, i don't have to tell you, is a filthy piece of french writing.
2006-12-08 15:59:26 · answer #6 · answered by heyrobo 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋