the Romance language of the people of France and parts of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and Africa
(the French) (treated as pl) the people of France
excuse/pardon my French excuse these swear words
I wish we'd never heard of the bugger, pardon my French — Alan Coren
It has been estimated that over 10,000 French words had been adopted in English by 1500 (see note at Anglo-French1). Since then, the rate of borrowing has decreased but the contribution of French to the English vocabulary has remained significant. In the 16th and 17th cents French loanwords included grotesque, liaison, naive, pioneer, platoon, role, and vase. In the 18th cent., when French was above all the language of diplomacy and polite society, it gave English boutique, bureau, corps, debut, envelope, espionage, etiquette, police, regime, and terrain. Borrowings in the 19th cent. include chauffeur, coupon, gourmet, menu, milieu, mirage, prestige, repertoire, and restaurant; and in the 20th cent. brassiere, camouflage, compere, discotheque, fuselage, and garage