pardon my french

[GEORGE THOMPSON]

Surely the Catledges can't be unfamiliar with the common -- in my
experience -- expression "pardon my french", used as an apology for
using an objectionable word in speech.  I heard it no doubt 35 years
ago.  I don't suppose the idea is to blame our obscenities on loan
words from the French, although we English-speakers have for
centuries been inclined to credit the French for every form of folly
and ignorance, and quite rightly, too.  But in this case I think the
idea is: you perhaps thought I just said the taboo word "bullshit",
but in fact I was using a perfectly acceptable French word which just
happens to sound somewhat similar.

In any event, as hardline descriptivists, we of course accept the
proposition that just as no statement is ungrammatical if its utterer
supposes it to be grammatical, so no statement is offensive unless
its utterer intends it to be offensive.

GAT