Also: Excuse my French.
Used since the late 19th century or earlier.
Meaning of Pardon My French Idiom
Pardon my French is a (sometimes humorous) apology for bad language or swearing. Usually, when this idiom is used, we are only pretending to be sorry for cursing.
Usage
Pardon my French may still be heard in informal conversation but is becoming archaic as we grow more comfortable with swearing and many swear-words that were once considered so vulgar, like the F-word, are not so common they go almost unnoticed.
Examples Of Use
“Pardon my French, but this shit is starting to bug me.”
“Dale is a douchebag, pardon my French, he completely fucked me over on my promotion.”
Origin
French, for unknown reasons, has been used as a euphemism for profane language since the late 1800’s.
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- Pony Up
- Pot Calling the Kettle Black
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