(Uh oh, another French post by gift horse).

I went out with a friend yesterday and noticed that each time she cursed she said, "Excuse my French". Aside from being slightly annoyed, I started to wonder, where did this saying come from? Is it my imagination that it seems a derogatory statement -- however indirectly -- towards the French? I've heard it numerous times, but didn't know its history. The saying seemed particularly ironic since many of the words my friend was apologizing for don't seem to have French origins. I did a little search in google and found this:

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=232360

Do any of you know if these answers are accurate?