English idiom: “Pardon my french”

Pardon my French is a fun English idiom, commonly used as a light apology after using curse words or profane language.

For example: a friend is telling another friend a story, and the first friend curses a lot to emphasize their frustration with something that happened. The first friend then follows their story with “pardon my French” as a funny way to excuse their language, pretending that it’s just another language.

What makes the idiom funny, is that no one is actually speaking French at all. This English idiom was used as early as the 1800s in the U.S and is said that the phrase actually derives from a literal usage. When English speakers from Europe went to America and used French expressions in conversation, such as the highly popular “je ne sais quoi,” they would often apologize for it because their listeners wouldn’t always understand what they are saying.

Next time you accidentally drop the ‘F bomb’, blame it on French!