# pardon my French

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pardon-my-french
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To excuse the speaker's frankness of expression or profanity.

## Examples

- Pardon my French, but this situation is a total mess.
- Pardon my French, but that was a damn stupid mistake to make in front of the boss.
- Pardon my French, but the sheer incompetence displayed during the negotiations was, quite frankly, infuriating to everyone involved.

## Origin

From the 19th-century usage of French to serve as a euphemism for vulgar language. The term functions as a linguistic deflection, ostensibly suggesting that any profanity uttered by the speaker is not actually English but belongs to a foreign tongue.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.