Expressions With The Word French

There are dozens of English expressions with 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.

English expressions with the word French

1. (cooking) to cut into thin strips, to trim fat (unknown translation) 2. (kissing) see French kiss, below

French bean - le haricot vert green bean

French boxing - la boxe française

French bread - la baguette

French bulldog - le bouledogue français

French chop 1. (cuisine) chop with the meat and fat trimmed from the end (unknown translation) 2. (juggling) tomahawk jeté de l'autre côté de la tête

French cleaners - le nettoyage à sec literally, "dry cleaning"

French cuff - le poignet mousquetaire literally, "musketeer's cuff"

French curtain - le rideau à la française

French curve - le pistolet literally, "pistol"

French custard ice cream - la glace aux œufs 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 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 fly - une braguette à bouton de rappel hidden button inside fly of men's pants

French fry - la (pomme de terre) frite literally, "fried potato." Note that French fries are actually Belgian

French ice cream - see French custard ice cream, above

French kiss noun: un baiser avec la langue, un baiser profond verb: embrasser avec la langue

to take French leave - filer à l'anglaise (informal) literally, "to split/take off the English way"

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 mustard - la moutarde douce literally, "sweet mustard"

French onion soup - la soupe à l'oignon onion soup (topped with cheese and broiled) French onion soup recipe

French pancake - une crêpe French polish - le vernis au tampon shellac diluted with alcohol and used to produce a high gloss on wood

French poodle - un caniche literally, "poodle"

French roof - un toit à la mansarde literally, "Mansard roof"

French stick - une baguette

French toast - le pain perdu literally, "lost bread" French toast recipe

French trotter - un trotteur français breed of horse literally, "window-door"

Are you interested by other English expressions with the word French

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