French is a six-letter F-word, oui?

I know zilch about the French language, other than the fact that many French words and expressions have been absorbed into the English language. And it does sound pleasing to the ear (just imagine the contrast between the "decibel ambience" -- haha, yet another word of French origin -- at a typical Chinese wedding and a French one).

There's an interesting recent AFP story about new US Secretary of State John Kerry, who speaks French, declining to use it when asked to do so by a bilingual Canadian journalist... just in case he commits a faux pas (see, another French "import"):

Pardon my French, says Kerry

"Not today. I got to refresh myself on that," Kerry said at his first press conference when a Canadian reporter asked him to reply to a question with "a little bit of French, please".

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/weird/zut-pardon-my-french-says-kerry

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The cheeky headline above plays on a common idiom, "Pardon my French/Excuse my French". Even we non-Francophone Singaporeans use this idiom, which means, "Please forgive my swearing". Its origin is traced in this link below:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/130800.html

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Time for a joke next, with a French theme, of course. CC sent me this one, obviously an old joke (some young people may not know who Charles de Gaulle is)...

When Charles de Gaulle decided to retire from public life, the British
ambassador and his wife threw a gala dinner party in his honour.

At the dinner table, the Ambassador's wife was talking with Madame de Gaulle:

"Your husband has been such a prominent public figure, such a presence on
the French and international scene for so many years! How quiet retirement
will seem in comparison? What are you most looking forward to in these retirement years?"

"Hard penis! just hard penis!" replied Madame de Gaulle.

A huge hush fell over the table. Everyone heard her answer...... and no one knew what to say next.

Le Grand Charles leaned over to his wife and said:

"Ma cherie, I believe ze English pronounce zat word, "happiness!'"

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So, was there a double entendre (French! French!) in that joke? Are there naughty words that start with "French"? I can think of two: French kiss, and French cap.

Wikipedia claims that a French kiss is so-called because "at the beginning of the 20th century the French had a reputation for more adventurous and passionate sex practices. In France, it is referred to as baiser amoureux ("lover's kiss") or baiser avec la langue ("kiss with the tongue").

As for French cap, it's slang for condom (apparently, there's a similar slang phrase, "French letter"). I wonder if the word-association has to do with the fact that there is a place called Condom in southwestern France.

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I'll wrap up with this lovely Edith Piaf song, "La Vie En Rose":

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1dlz2_edith-piaf-la-vie-en-rose_music