« French » Expressions

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 the 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.

• 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↔literally, « tailor’s chalk »
• French cleaners – le nettoyage à sec↔literally, « dry cleaning »
• French clock (unknown translation) elaborately decorated French clock from the 18th century
• French cricket (unknown translation)informal type of cricket without stumps in which the batsman is out if the ball hits his/her legs
• French cuff – le poignet mousquetaire literally, « musketeer’s cuff »
• French curve – le pistolet literally, « pistol »
• French cut (unknown translation) (lingerie) high-waisted style
• French dip (unknown translation) beef sandwich dipped into beef juice (called au jus)
• French disease – la maladie anglaise literally, « English disease. » An old-fashioned term in both languages to refer to syphilis.
• French door – la porte-fenêtre literally, « window-door »
• French drain – le drain français
• French dressing – la vinaigrette.Only in England does French dressing mean 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,literally, « fried potato. » Note that French fries are actually Belgian
• to French-fry – frire à la friteuse literally, « to fry in the fryer »
• French harp (unknown translation).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 (unknown translation),(women’s shoes) a curved, high heel
• French hen (unknown translation).In the song « 12 Days of Christmas » 🙂
• French horn – le cor d’harmonie literally, « horn of harmonie »
• French kiss, noun: un baiser avec la langue, un baiser profond
• verb: embrasser avec la langue
• French knickers – la culotte-caleçon
• French knitting (unknown translation) also called « spool knitting »
• French knot – le point de nœud literally, « knot point »
• to take French leave – filer à l’anglaise (informal) literally, « to split/take off the English way »
• French lentils – les lentilles du Puy literally, « lentils from (the French town of) Puy »
• French letter – la capote anglaise (informal) literally, « English condom »
• French maid – la femme de chambre chambermaid
• French manicure – le French manucure.American-invented style of manicure, with light pink polish on the nail and white polish underneath
• French marigold – un œillet d’Inde literally, « Indian carnation »
• French mustard – la moutarde douce literally, « sweet mustard »
• French onion dip (unknown translation) 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 (unknown translation)a pleat at the top of a curtain consisting of three smaller pleats
• French polish (unknown translation) shellac diluted with alcohol and used to produce a high gloss on wood
• French poodle – un caniche literally, « poodle »
• French press – une cafetière literally, « coffee maker »
• French provincial (unknown translation) (architecture, furniture) style characteristic of the French provinces in the 17th and 18th centuries
• French roast coffee – café mélange français literally, « French blend coffee »
• French roll – un chignon banane literally, « banana bun »
• French roof – un toit à la mansarde literally, « Mansard roof »
• French saddle – une selle française breed of horse
• French seam – la couture anglaise literally, « English sewing »
• French silk pie (unknown translation) pie with a chocolate mousse or pudding filling and whipped cream topping
• French skipping (unknown translation) also known as « Chinese skipping, » « Chinese jump rope, » and « elastics. »
• French stick – une baguette
• French telephone (unknown translation) telephone with the receiver and transmitter as a single piece
• French toast – le pain perdu literally, « lost bread »French toast recipe
• French trotter – un trotteur français →breed of horse
• French twist – le chignon→bun
• French vanilla – la vanille bourbon literally, « (the French town of) Bourbon vanilla »
• French vermouth – le vermouth→dry vermouth
• French window – la porte-fenêtre literally, « window-door »
• Pardon my French. – Passez-moi l’expression. Allow me the expression.