Where did the phrase "pardon my French" come from?

lanfranco

No one really knows where this came from -- the best guess is that it emerged from 1950's urban slang, a few ideas being discussed on the site below. There is an ancient equivalent, suggesting that the same idea existed millennia ago, not at all surprisingly: "Sit venia verbo," which meant, "Please excuse the word." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardon_my_French Mar 26 07, 10:46 PM

What-A-Mess

French, when spoken with enthusiasm, sounds to the average American like cursing. Since cuss words (a southern thing) are not the acceptable norm for everyday conversation, persons would say "excuse my French" after the fact in an attempt cover up the foible of uttering a four-letter word. I also have heard that the term is derived from a common mis-belief that the French, as a Country, are crude and vulgar. Lanfrancos reference site mentions this. Mar 26 07, 11:35 PM