"French" Things - English Expressions containing the word French
There are dozens of expressions in English which contain the word French... but are these things actually French? Take a look at this list with the French equivalents and their literal translations - you might be surprised.
This is a work in progress - after extensive research, I've been unable to find the French equivalents for a handful of terms. Where possible, I've provided definitions for these terms, so if you have any ideas about how to translate them into French, please let me know on the forum.
| In English | In French | Literal Translation and Notes | |
| to french | 1. ? 2. baiser avec la langue |
(cooking) to cut into thin strips, to trim fat short for "to French kiss" (see below) |
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| French bean | le haricot vert | green bean | |
| French boxing | la boxe française | ||
| French braid | la tresse française | (hair style) French plait in UK | |
| French bread | la baguette | ||
| French bulldog | le bouledogue français | ||
| French chalk | la craie de tailleur | tailor's chalk | |
| French chop | 1. ? | (cuisine) chop with the meat and fat trimmed from the end | |
| 2. tomahawk jeté de l'autre côté de la tête | (juggling) tomahawk passed from left side of the head with the right hand | ||
| French cleaners | le nettoyage à sec | dry cleaning | |
| French clock | ? | elaborately decorated French clock from the 18th century | |
| French cricket | ? | informal type of cricket without stumps in which the batsman is out if the ball hits his/her legs | |
| French cuff | le poignet mousquetaire | (men's clothing) musketeer's cuff | |
| French curve | le pistolet | (drafting) | |
| French cut | ? | (lingerie) high-waisted style | |
| French dip | ? | beef sandwich dipped into beef juice (called "au jus") | |
| French disease | la maladie anglaise | English disease. An old-fashioned term in both languages to refer to syphilis. | |
| French door | la porte-fenêtre | window-door | |
| French drain | le drain français | ||
| French dressing | la vinaigrette | Only in England does French dressing refer to vinaigrette. In the US, French dressing refers to a sweet, tomato-based salad dressing that does not, as far as I know, exist in France. | |
| French fry | la (pomme de terre) frite | fried (potato) - French fries are actually Belgian | |
| to French-fry | frire à la friteuse | to fry in the fryer | |
| French harp | ? | This term is used in the southern US to refer to an instrument made of metal or glass strips attached to a frame and struck with a hammer. | |
| French heel | ? | (women's shoes) a curved, high heel | |
| French hen | ? | In the song "12 Days of Christmas" :-) | |
| French horn | le cor d'harmonie | horn of harmonie | |
| French kiss | le baiser avec la langue | kiss with the tongue | |
| French knickers | la culotte-caleçon | ||
| French knot | le point de noeud | (embroidery) | |
| to take French leave | filer à l'anglaise (informal) | to split/take off the English way | |
| French lentils | les lentilles du Puy | named after the French town of Puy? | |
| French letter (informal) | la capote anglaise | English condom | |
| French maid | la femme de chambre | chambermaid | |
| French manicure | le French manicure | American-invented style of manicure, with light pink polish on the nail and white polish underneath | |
| French marigold | un oeillet d'Inde | Indian carnation | |
| French mustard | la moutarde douce | sweet mustard | |
| French onion dip | ? | vegetable dip made from sour cream, onion, and herbs | |
| French onion soup | la soupe à l'oignon | onion soup (topped with cheese and broiled) | French onion soup recipe |
| French pastry | la pâtisserie | pastry | |
| French plait | la tresse française | (hair style) French braid in US | |
| French pleat | ? | a pleat at the top of a curtain consisting of three smaller pleats | |
| French polish | ? | shellac diluted with alcohol and used to produce a high gloss on wood | |
| French poodle | un caniche | poodle | |
| French press | une cafetière | coffee maker | |
| French provincial | ? | (architecture, furniture) style characteristic of the French provinces in the 17th and 18th centuries | |
| French roast coffee | café mélange français | French blend coffee | |
| French roll | un chignon banane? | hair tucked into a vertical roll down the back of the head | |
| French roof | un toit à la mansarde | Mansard roof | |
| French saddle | un selle français | breed of horse | |
| French seam | la couture anglaise | English sewing | |
| French silk pie | ? | pie with a chocolate mousse or pudding filling and whipped cream topping | |
| French stick | une baguette | ||
| French telephone | ? | telephone with the receiver and transmitter as a single piece | |
| French toast | le pain perdu | lost bread | French toast recipe |
| French trotter | un trotteur français | breed of horse | |
| French twist | le chignon | bun | |
| French vanilla | la vanille Bourbon | named after a French town | |
| French vermouth | le vermouth | dry vermouth | |
| French window | la porte-fenêtre | window-door | |
| Pardon my French. | Passez-moi l'expression. | Allow me the expression. | |
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