Why do we use frogs to make fun of the French? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

KellyC · 02-29-2004, 11:35 PM

I don't know if this is the appropriate forum to ask this question. But it seems most fitting to me.

I've seen a couple of The Simpsons episodes where the animators make the French looks like frogs when they laugh (one of the Halloween special and when Lisa went to the identical school of hers but it was called "West (or East) Springfield Elementary, she walks into the French class and realized it was the wrong school, then the class laughs at her, the teacher interupts then and said "a las francois" or something like that, and all the students change their laughing tone to french like). Or associate them with frogs. We have a class discussion a couple days ago and one thing leads to another we talked about this subject and the teacher don't even know. Can any one tell me?

Thank You

Bobaphat · 02-29-2004, 11:38 PM

Froggy is a dorogotory name for the french. Not sure where it came from
Maybe because they eat frog legs?

hu-man · 03-01-2004, 12:38 AM

I think it's because frog legs are a french delicacy. No biggie there.

evilbeefchan · 03-01-2004, 01:05 AM

Well, I guess a majority of America still abhors the French, so by illustrating them as frogs, we percieve them as ugly, slimy creatures who consume insects and other grotesque things in grotesque manners. They speak nonsense in ugly voice, and are smelly. I guess it's a more subtle version of "freedom fries" and pouring french wine down the drains. Maybe not. ::shrugs::

Kostya · 03-01-2004, 01:15 AM

Americans are quick to forget who helped them out in their War of Independence...

It's a very old name for the French, used by the British for ages...

I assume that this refers to the frog leg thing...

Fremen · 03-01-2004, 02:19 AM

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

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:

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.

Whatever the origin, it's another of the derogatory terms we seem to take great pleasure in using.

aphex140 · 03-01-2004, 03:32 AM

Limey comes from the fact that when your ancestors crossed over from the U.K They had to eat limes to prevent jaundice, hence limeys.

The word POSH comes from these times also. Portside Out and Starboard side In, for travel on a boat,

I do not feel they are offensive terms ' forg' etc as there is much worse you can call them.

Oh yes the frogs helped liberate your country from who ? the native Americans.

Seaver · 03-01-2004, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Americans are quick to forget who helped them out in their War of Independence...

No, Americans have not forgot. The general feeling though is we paid you back in WWI, and you still owe us for WWII.

How accurate WWI is can be disputed as far as army size goes, but the flood of the sudden free supplies could not be disputed.

ratbastid · 03-01-2004, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by aphex140
They had to eat limes to prevent jaundice, hence limeys.

Scurvy, actually.

Interesting theories about the frog legs and the Parisian swamps. I always assumed that it was the similarity of the words themselves that gave rise to the epithet. The initial "fr", the general length of the word, etc.

Phaenx · 03-01-2004, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kostya
Americans are quick to forget who helped them out in their War of Independence...

It's a very old name for the French, used by the British for ages...

I assume that this refers to the frog leg thing...

BS, who saved their asses in WW2? In more recent history, who fucking keeps putting their thumb in our eyes when we need something from them? Denying airspace and fighting against upholding 1331 was a load, fuck them.

Spartak · 03-01-2004, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phaenx
BS, who saved their asses in WW2?

Ultimately the Soviets ? After all 88% of Nazi casualties were caused by them.

splck · 03-01-2004, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phaenx
BS, who saved their asses in WW2? In more recent history, who fucking keeps putting their thumb in our eyes when we need something from them? Denying airspace and fighting against upholding 1331 was a load, fuck them.

Oh goody, yet another thread jacked into a French bash...yippee

This is what I found:
FROG – “a Frenchman, was common in England by 1870 but became well known in the U.S. only during World War I. It is probably from the French relishing frogs as a delicacy, reinforced by the toads on the coat of arms of the city of Paris.”

Bleed Me Dry · 03-01-2004, 06:44 PM

I never quite understood it, but no one should eat frog legs...how sad is that!!!

KellyC · 03-01-2004, 09:44 PM

Thanks for your inputs guys. Now I have something to say in class

Quote:

Originally posted by Bleed Me Dry
I never quite understood it, but no one should eat frog legs...how sad is that!!!

They are delicious! I've been FOOLed into eating it...and I was glad that they did it. Looks alot like chicken, almost same texture and taste. Yummy!

Seaver · 03-01-2004, 10:05 PM

Yeah, they are like chicken wings, the meat is softer and the skin is a little tougher, but they are definately good.

Now are they worth how much they cost? for a plate of 8 you can get 30 regular chicken wings... I think you all know which I'd choose.

titsmurf · 03-02-2004, 01:11 AM

All animal food is filthy. I'm not a vegetarian, I just accept that and it doesn't make what I eat any less tasty. Frogs are no more disgusting than eggs or milk are. An egg is something a chicken craps out, and milk comes out of a cow's nipple. Why would eating frogs, snails, worms, spiders etc. be more repulsive than eating chickens?

And none of that matters, really, when you think of all the bacteria that are crawling over everything you eat. Now THOSE small guys are repulsive.

runawayfetus · 03-02-2004, 09:39 PM

most people that make fun of the french just do it cuz others are doing it.. they usually dont know why the fuck they are making fun of the french in the first place.. that shit pisses me off

02-29-2004, 11:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
KellyC Comment or else!! Location: Home sweet home	Why do we use frogs to make fun of the French? I don't know if this is the appropriate forum to ask this question. But it seems most fitting to me. I've seen a couple of The Simpsons episodes where the animators make the French looks like frogs when they laugh (one of the Halloween special and when Lisa went to the identical school of hers but it was called "West (or East) Springfield Elementary, she walks into the French class and realized it was the wrong school, then the class laughs at her, the teacher interupts then and said "a las francois" or something like that, and all the students change their laughing tone to french like). Or associate them with frogs. We have a class discussion a couple days ago and one thing leads to another we talked about this subject and the teacher don't even know. Can any one tell me? Thank You __________________ Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe? Me: Shit happens.

02-29-2004, 11:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Bobaphat whoopity doo Location: Seattle	Froggy is a dorogotory name for the french. Not sure where it came from Maybe because they eat frog legs? __________________ --size matters not-- yoda

03-01-2004, 03:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
aphex140 Psycho Location: northamptonshire	Limey comes from the fact that when your ancestors crossed over from the U.K They had to eat limes to prevent jaundice, hence limeys. The word POSH comes from these times also. Portside Out and Starboard side In, for travel on a boat, I do not feel they are offensive terms ' forg' etc as there is much worse you can call them. Oh yes the frogs helped liberate your country from who ? the native Americans. __________________ Computers allow us to make more mistakes at a faster rate than any other man-made thing, with the exception of handguns and tequila. [/QUOTE=BAMF]Do they role a die, with a 1/3 chance of being flacid?[/QUOTE]

03-01-2004, 06:44 PM	#13 (permalink)
Bleed Me Dry Insane Location: Hell	I never quite understood it, but no one should eat frog legs...how sad is that!!! __________________ Bite Me... But Only If Invited

03-01-2004, 10:05 PM	#15 (permalink)
Seaver Junkie Location: Fort Worth, TX	Yeah, they are like chicken wings, the meat is softer and the skin is a little tougher, but they are definately good. Now are they worth how much they cost? for a plate of 8 you can get 30 regular chicken wings... I think you all know which I'd choose. __________________ "Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

03-01-2004, 12:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
hu-man The one that got away Location: Over the hill and far away	I think it's because frog legs are a french delicacy. No biggie there.

03-01-2004, 01:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
evilbeefchan Addict Location: Alhambra, CA	Well, I guess a majority of America still abhors the French, so by illustrating them as frogs, we percieve them as ugly, slimy creatures who consume insects and other grotesque things in grotesque manners. They speak nonsense in ugly voice, and are smelly. I guess it's a more subtle version of "freedom fries" and pouring french wine down the drains. Maybe not. ::shrugs::

03-01-2004, 01:15 AM	#5 (permalink)
Kostya Little known... Location: Brisbane, Australia	Americans are quick to forget who helped them out in their War of Independence... It's a very old name for the French, used by the British for ages... I assume that this refers to the frog leg thing...

03-02-2004, 01:11 AM	#16 (permalink)
titsmurf Crazy Location: Belgium	All animal food is filthy. I'm not a vegetarian, I just accept that and it doesn't make what I eat any less tasty. Frogs are no more disgusting than eggs or milk are. An egg is something a chicken craps out, and milk comes out of a cow's nipple. Why would eating frogs, snails, worms, spiders etc. be more repulsive than eating chickens? And none of that matters, really, when you think of all the bacteria that are crawling over everything you eat. Now THOSE small guys are repulsive.

03-02-2004, 09:39 PM	#17 (permalink)
runawayfetus Crazy Location: san fran	most people that make fun of the french just do it cuz others are doing it.. they usually dont know why the fuck they are making fun of the french in the first place.. that shit pisses me off __________________ im a huge movie goer....