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excuse my french...
ok, how come whenever someone says a curse word, they say excuse my french/pardon my french etc...? i never understood it...I always hear my mom say it after she says a curse word. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks. i rate high for real answers. ♥
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Just one of the possible reasons:
This phrase, in which French refers to "bad language", is employed
when the speaker feels compelled to use an obscenity despite having
listeners who might be offended. It's a late 19th century euphemism
which first appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1895.
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).
Most of the other explanations I've found also all refer to the French as being 'dirty' or sexually liberated and vulgar.
As the French and English have had a difficult relationship throughout history, the phrase is rather biased and not exactly PC these days.
Hope this helps.
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i know this isn't a direct answer.. it isnt one at all, but i wonder if in france, people who curse say excuse my english.. just a thoguht. dont bother rating me.
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I have always wondered the same thing until i came across this site a while back.
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
It will answer your question.
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