Here it goes, I have looked around to see why the French are called
frogs, and to this day cannot find why. Does anyone know why they are
called frogs, where did the name come from, what were the
circumstances, et cetera?
Thanks,
Ray
Austin, Texas
===
"Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" wrote
Search "frog +french +origin"
"For as long as there have been nations, people have been dreaming up ways
to insult the nations to which they do not belong. And it's not a
coincidence that the three examples your father-in-law mentioned all focus
on the culinary tastes of the nation to be insulted. As Hugh Rawson observes
in his excellent book "Wicked Words" (Crown, 1989), "You are -- to your
enemies especially -- what you eat."
"Frog" was indeed at one time a popular derogatory term for a French person,
though it didn't start out quite that way. Originally (around 1330), "frog"
was applied by Britons to almost any group they found objectionable, and was
aimed at both Jesuits and the Dutch before it was decided in the late 18th
century that the French, with whom England was then at war, were the real
"frogs." The rationale for the term, to the extent one is ever really needed
in such cases, was the French consumption of frogs' legs (anathema to the
beef-loving British), as well as the presence of frogs on the coat of arms
of the city of Paris. "Frog" is still used as an insult, especially in
Britain, but many other once-popular anti-French coinages are rarely heard
today, including "French pox" (syphilis), "French leave" (desertion from
one's post in wartime), and simply "French" (foul language, as in the
apologetic phrase "Pardon my French" offered after swearing)."
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:xpDmufuEpmAJ:
I believe it relates to the French penchant for Frogs Legs,
Their term for us Brits is "Rost-beef" or something similar- as we all
like a Sunday roast!
With the Germans termed "krauts" (Saur-kraut?)it seems that racist slurs
in Europe are primarily food based.
regards
Troffa.
A number of years ago, I was on an Exercise Ample Gain at Fassberg airbase.
Ample Gain involved squadrons from many NATO air forces meeting to "learn
each other's operating techniques", but basically they were excuses for a
huge booze up. One rather drunken night a multi-national group got to
discussing these nicknames. It seems that the nicknames are mainly between
the Brits, French and Germans. Brits called the French "frogs" and the
Germans "boxheads" (at least we did in the RAF). In turn the French called
us "rosbif" and the Germans called us "insel affen" (island monkeys). The
French still call the Germans "Boche".
Oddly enough, almost everyone else was quite put out that they didn't have
any racial nicknames (apart from the the obvious "Yank", "Canuck" and
"Eyetie" etc). However the Dutch contingent were very pleased that the Brits
called them "Cloggies"!
After that night it was *very* difficult to tell us all apart as there had
been so much swapping of uniform. I managed to trade a complete RAF Number 1
uniform for a back-seat trip in an F-16! :-D
Up to this point I was going to suggest 'chipmunks' as in small furry
animals that chatter incessantly. I don't know if they're promiscuous
too.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
Hi
I am a french citizen married to a US citizen, have been here in the
states for 13 years and have never heard anybody call me a frog!
They call me "Oui oui" often for "yes yes".
The only place I have heard of the frog expression is where
brits/australians are involved as this newsgroup and the sport of
rugby.
I have sometimes answered to americans asking me where I come from,
that I was a "frog" and their answer was "A what? What do you mean?".
It is not used from NYC to Atlanta where I have lived at least in my
experience.
In France we indeed call brits "Rost-beef" and Germans "Teutons",
"Bosch" or "Schleu" and I don't know why. The belgians are "Les frites"
for "the fries", americans are "Yankees", italians "Rital" which is
slang for italian, russians are "Ruscoff" and arabs I won't print here
as it's really bad, it's a fruit actually.
All right back to finish my M551 sheridan.
Patrick
(Now what I get often here in the states is "Why is your first name
Patrick, you are french not irish. Ho well too many "Pierre" already I
answer.;-)
Here in eastern Canada, Frog has long been a name for the French. I
can recall knowing about it at least 40 years ago when I was in high
school.
Being of French decent but having English as my first language (French
is second), I used to have fun with my French friends, calling them
"stupid frogs". At first they'd start to get mad, but when they
realised I was the one saying it, they'd laugh. I'd say that I was a
"smart frog"!
Bilingual Bob Boudreau
With a traced ancestry to Michel Boudrot who arrived in Canada (New
France) from France in 1641.
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