I found this on google with the search term "Why call French frogs?":
http://experts.about.com/q/3155/2022765.htm
Quote:
Topic: French Culture
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Expert:Guillaume Roche
Date:11/30/2001
Subject:derivation of slang "frog"
Question
hope this is not offensive but would like to know the derivation of the phrase "frog" in reference to the french in some literary circles? is this an offensive term to the french? is it similar to "limey" to the english? thanks. al
Answer
Well, we french know that we're called "frogs" by english or american people because of that strange habit we have of cooking them (trust me, they're really delicious !-) ). But it's not really offensive to my mind. We call english people "rosbiffs" the same way and for the same reasons, I guess (they must eat a lot of meat ?).
What I don't understand is what you mean by "derivation" ? Do you mean the french term for "frog" : "grenouille" ? You can call any french you want "grenouille", he won't take it as an insult but be really puzzled by wether or not you're a witch trying to transform him into one !-)...
It's indeed quite similar as "limey" I guess to call the English. As far as I know the "frog" thing makes most french laugh, no more no less.
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This answer doesn't seem to be the right one to me though so I looked further.
*shrugs*
Another site, but with a bunch of different possibilities.
http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/frenchfrogs.html
Here's one:
Quote:
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According to the person who sent me this, the English nickname for the French has nothing to do with their fondness for frogs legs, oddly enough the term was coined by the French nobility as a disparaging monicker for the inhabitants of Paris. The land surrounding Paris ws notoriously swampy and the 18th century kings and courtiers of Versailles habitually referred to the Parisians as LES GRENOUILLES. Foreign diplomats picked it up and gradually became used to describe the French in general.
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Whatever the origin, it's another of the derogatory terms we seem to take great pleasure in using.
