英文釋義：Excuse my inappropriate language. Usually used humorously, especially around children, as if to suggest that an inappropriate word was, in fact, a word from a different language.
中文釋義：原諒我說話粗魯A coy phrase used when someone who has used a swear-word attempt to pass it off as French. The coyness comes from the fact both the speaker and listener are of course both well aware the swear-word is indeed English.
“Pardon/excuse my French”主要是用來表示由於憤怒生氣抑不住要說難聽的話，但又不得不控制自己的風度，因此在說髒話之前提醒對方一下或者說完之後道歉，以表示禮貌和優雅。那麼問題來了？為什麼在英語表達裡面偏偏要用“French”來表達說話粗魯呢？印象中法語不是既浪漫又動聽，好像跟粗魯扯不上邊吧。
根據英國短語網站The Phrasefinder的解釋：This usage is mid 20th century English in origin. A version of it is found in Michael Harrison"s All Trees were Green, 1936:"A bloody sight better (pardon the French!) than most."
The source of the phrase is earlier and derives from a literal usage of the exclamation. In the 19th century, when English people used French expressions in conversation they oftenapologisedfor it - presumably because many of their listeners (then as now) wouldn"t be familiar with the language. An example of this was given in The Lady"s Magazine, 1830:Blessme, how fat you are grown! - absolutely as round as a ball: - you will soon be asenbon-point (excuse my French) as your poor dear father, the major."Enbonpoint" is French for "plump; well-nourished". It might seem odd to us now that the speaker, having been rather rude about her compatriot"s appearance, felt obliged toapologisefor doing so in French, but not for the rudeness itself.
該詞的早期用法是用於表示語氣感嘆的。在18世紀，英華人習慣在對話中夾雜一些法語，因為當時法語是上流社會的通用語言，普通人不懂法語，因此在每次要說法語之前，人們總會先說“excuse my French”，表示抱歉。如："天哪，你長得多胖呀-簡直圓得像個球：-你馬上就會變得跟你那可憐的爸爸一樣肥（請原諒我的粗魯）”。 "Enbonpoint" 在法語中表示“肥胖，營養足”的意思。但是就今天的視角來看，說話人明明對其同伴的外表做出了粗魯的評價，卻不以為然，反而為其使用法語這行為而道歉，真是有意思。當然還有另外一種說法，就是英法兩國因為爭奪歐洲大陸上的大佬之稱而長期不合，尤其是12-13世紀期間的百年戰爭，這種不和同樣表現在語言上的互黑，因此出現了法華人牴觸英語，有關英華人的法語詞彙以及有關法華人的英語詞彙都偏離了其原本的字面意思，帶有濃厚的感情色彩。
俗話說的好，“Every country hasneighboursthey like to look down on. For theEnglishit"s the French” （任何國家都有個冤家鄰國，正如英國和法國）， 鄰國的存在就是拿來黑的。
例句：
Excuse my French，who the fuck do you think you are....
其實呢，英語裡面有許多看起來你都認識，但其實意思完全不是那麼一回事的片語，其背後有者豐富的文化內涵以及歷史淵源，在此，特以常見的French為例，來講講英語中文化詞彙的知識。
1. Pardon/excuse my French
英文釋義：Excuse my inappropriate language. Usually used humorously, especially around children, as if to suggest that an inappropriate word was, in fact, a word from a different language.
中文釋義：原諒我說話粗魯A coy phrase used when someone who has used a swear-word attempt to pass it off as French. The coyness comes from the fact both the speaker and listener are of course both well aware the swear-word is indeed English.
“Pardon/excuse my French”主要是用來表示由於憤怒生氣抑不住要說難聽的話，但又不得不控制自己的風度，因此在說髒話之前提醒對方一下或者說完之後道歉，以表示禮貌和優雅。那麼問題來了？為什麼在英語表達裡面偏偏要用“French”來表達說話粗魯呢？印象中法語不是既浪漫又動聽，好像跟粗魯扯不上邊吧。
根據英國短語網站The Phrasefinder的解釋：This usage is mid 20th century English in origin. A version of it is found in Michael Harrison"s All Trees were Green, 1936:"A bloody sight better (pardon the French!) than most."
The source of the phrase is earlier and derives from a literal usage of the exclamation. In the 19th century, when English people used French expressions in conversation they oftenapologisedfor it - presumably because many of their listeners (then as now) wouldn"t be familiar with the language. An example of this was given in The Lady"s Magazine, 1830:Blessme, how fat you are grown! - absolutely as round as a ball: - you will soon be asenbon-point (excuse my French) as your poor dear father, the major."Enbonpoint" is French for "plump; well-nourished". It might seem odd to us now that the speaker, having been rather rude about her compatriot"s appearance, felt obliged toapologisefor doing so in French, but not for the rudeness itself.
該詞的早期用法是用於表示語氣感嘆的。在18世紀，英華人習慣在對話中夾雜一些法語，因為當時法語是上流社會的通用語言，普通人不懂法語，因此在每次要說法語之前，人們總會先說“excuse my French”，表示抱歉。如："天哪，你長得多胖呀-簡直圓得像個球：-你馬上就會變得跟你那可憐的爸爸一樣肥（請原諒我的粗魯）”。 "Enbonpoint" 在法語中表示“肥胖，營養足”的意思。但是就今天的視角來看，說話人明明對其同伴的外表做出了粗魯的評價，卻不以為然，反而為其使用法語這行為而道歉，真是有意思。當然還有另外一種說法，就是英法兩國因為爭奪歐洲大陸上的大佬之稱而長期不合，尤其是12-13世紀期間的百年戰爭，這種不和同樣表現在語言上的互黑，因此出現了法華人牴觸英語，有關英華人的法語詞彙以及有關法華人的英語詞彙都偏離了其原本的字面意思，帶有濃厚的感情色彩。
俗話說的好，“Every country hasneighboursthey like to look down on. For theEnglishit"s the French” （任何國家都有個冤家鄰國，正如英國和法國）， 鄰國的存在就是拿來黑的。
例句：
Excuse my French，who the fuck do you think you are....
不好意思我要罵人了，你以為你是什麼東西……
If you’ll pardon my French, he’s a bloody fool.
對不起，我要說髒話了，他就是個傻蛋
2. French Fries 薯條
這個片語是十分耳熟能詳的，但是小C想說的是，為什麼薯條裡面會有法國兩個字呢？據說是因為在第一次世界大戰的時候，美國士兵在比利時吃到了這種薯條，覺得特別美味，而當時在比利時軍隊中的通用語言是法語，他們就以為是“法國的薯條”了。
而此處有一個軼事，在攻打伊拉克期間，由於法國的不支援，美國共和黨議員曾將眾議院自助餐廳選單上的“French fries”(炸薯條)改為“Freedom fries”（“自由”薯條），故意除去“French”（法國）一字，以表達對法國對伊政策的不滿。據說，眾院行政委員會主席奈伊除了下令將眾院三座辦公樓所有餐廳選單上的“French fries”改為“Freedom fries”之外，也將，“French toast”（法式烘烤麵包）改為“Freedom toast”（“自由”烘烤麵包）。
例句：I have chicken and French fries for lunch.我午餐吃了雞肉和炸蕃薯條。
（整理於百度百科、歐洲時報、the free dictionary、the prasefinder 、Idioms online）