<P> Bless me, how fat you are grown! - absolutely as round as a ball: - you will soon be as embonpoint (excuse my French) as your poor dear father, the major . </P> <P> The phrase has been used in broadcast television and family films where less offensive words are preceded by "pardon my French" to intensify their effect without violating censorship or rating guidelines . A good example is in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off . Cameron calls Mr. Rooney and says, "Pardon my French, but you're an asshole". </P> <P> Incidentally, several expressions are used by both the English and the French to describe the same culturally unacceptable habit, but attributing the habit to the other people: </P> <Ul> <Li> "to take a French leave" (to depart a party or other gathering without taking polite leave of one's host) is referenced in French as filer à l'anglaise (lit . "leave English - style"). </Li> <Li> "French letter" (now somewhat archaic; referring to a condom) is rendered in French as capote anglaise ("English hood" or "English cap"). </Li> <Li> During the 16th century in England, genital herpes was called the "French disease" and "French - sick" was a term for syphilis, while at the same time, it was called le Mal de Naples (the Napoli disease), hence attributing the belief that syphilis came from the south, into France, and then into England . </Li> </Ul>

Where does the expression pardon my french come from