pardon my French
Cusser's polite afterthought
Pardon my French is an apology offered before or after using profanity, treating the swear word as if it were a foreign language the listener might not understand.
The phrase is jocular—everyone knows what was said: Pardon my French, but that's bullshit.
It softens the offense while drawing attention to it.
- cussSpeak profanely
- swearingProfane speech or vows
- f-wordEuphemism for profanity
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
- apologyStatement acknowledging wrongdoing
four letter word · euphemism · mea culpa · tongue-in-cheek · forgive me · potty mouth · choice words · fiddlesticks · sorry · slip of the tongue · colorful · idiom · faux pas · heck · interjection · language barrier · darn · my bad
pardon my Frenchno apologies
unapologetically · deal with it · take it or leave it · tough · unrepentant
pardon my Frenchcalling a spade a spade
Stating things directly
pardon my Frenchgloves off
Fighting without restraint
pardon, pardoned, French, pardoning, pardonable, pardons, unpardonable, pardonably, unpardonably