pardon my French
idiom

- said when you are pretending to be sorry for using a word that may be considered offensive

Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

The expressions “Pardon my French” or “Excuse my French” date from 1895 and are apologies for the use of bad language. In the 19th century, when English people used French expressions in conversation they often apologized for it.

Although the phrase is often used without any explicit or implicit intention of insulting the French people or language, it may nevertheless be perceived as offensive and belittling by Francophone speakers.

However, most users of the term intend no such belittlement, but rather a light-hearted way of apologizing on-the-fly for having used somewhat bad language.

It’s probably a good idea to avoid this phrase, if there is a native French speaker in the meeting!

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FRENCH PHRASES

- French door = die Fenstertür

- French horn = das Waldhorn

- French fries (US) = die Pommes frites

- French leave = ohne Erlaubnis abwesend

- French letter = Pariser (Kondom)

- French leave = ohne Erlaubnis abwesend

It's amusing that in French, "French leave" is called "Filer à l'anglaise" (English flight),… and a French Letter is called "capote anglaise" (English bonnet) :-))

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SYNONYMS for pardon-excuse

acquit, exonerate, forgive, excuse, overlook, forgive and forget, make allowance for, be easy on, wink at, pass over, grant pardon to, cut someone some slack, not hold something against, turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, let it go, think no more of

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PRACTICE OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“PARDON MY FRENCH, but he really has been a pain-in-the-ass.”

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Paul Smith