>It's generally considered pretentious and rude to interlard your conversation with French words or your writing with Latin quotations. I think it's equally pretentious and rude ("I'm smarter than you; I've travelled more") to use foreign names instead of English names when speaking English.
Perhaps it is just the people you hang around with. In Montréal, Québec, it is quite common to intersperse French words into the conversation as both English and French are official languages and both are commonly used. As such I do take exception at your saying it is pretentious and rude.
Also, you should note that board is dedicated to words. It is not called “ An English Word A Day.” You will find loads of Latin, Italian, English, French, Hindi, and every other imaginable language being bandied about. What makes this board great is the mix of people from all over the globe. If you find it rude, you will be insulted no end by the people here. I like everybody here and I enjoy them adding a bit of themselves into the posts. I have NOT found anyone pretentious OR rude and I find it very insulting that you would say such a thing!
