This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
framework contract
coming-out ball
Dec 14, 2004 12:28
20 yrs ago
English term

french love

English Art/Literary Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Question for native speakers:

Is this term actually used in English that means a certain sexual act? Or could it be just a literal translation from other languages?
Responses
3 not quite
5 +1 French Love = Oral sex
4 +1 FRENCH LOVE [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
3 +1 two possibilities
3 Sounds like a literal translation to me

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Dec 29, 2004:
Hi Alvaro, Sorry for not giving the context earlier ;-0 Hope you have had great Xmas hols
airmailrpl Dec 24, 2004:
for a more poetic rather than crude word/phrase us "French Love"
Non-ProZ.com Dec 22, 2004:
I mentioned above that I was looking for a more poetic rather than crude word/phrase. This is because the girl who wants her lanlord to be charged with (verbal) harrasment is quite romantic and well educated.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 22, 2004:
I have already asked this question in my language qroup (http://www.proz.com/kudoz/889576), but had doubts about whether to use the literal translation (from Polish). And whether that would STILL mean the same to a native speaker. Hence, this question here.
Non-ProZ.com Dec 22, 2004:
Hello everyone! The context here is this: a woman come with her friend to a Police station to put a formal complaint against her landlard for (verbal) harrasment. When the policeman asks her what kind of harrasment it is, she describes it. At certain point of her story she mentions (what could be literally translated as) 'french love'.
Kemal Mustajbegovic Dec 14, 2004:
Never mind, Mr. Benham, never mind.
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
I remember once seeing an ad for a girl who claimed to "speak Spanish, French, Swedish and Greek". Quite a cunning linguist, you'd think, but somehow I don't think that's what she meant.
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
It's got nothing to do with what actually happens in France. I think, depending on context, it could mean fellatio, cunnilingus, or both ("soixante-neuf"). But it tends to have overtones of prostitution.
airmailrpl Dec 14, 2004:
according to the reference in my suggestion "French love" only has to do with "fellatio". Can't confirm that as I have only been to France recently to change planes
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
There's always "to go down on" someone. No suggestion of prostitution, but a little colloquial.
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
@Dusty. That sounds very reminiscent of prostitution to me. This may or may not be OK, depending on miros's context. And besides, I mentioned it first. ;-)
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
I think Charlie's got a point: "French love" sucks.
Tony M Dec 14, 2004:
I endorse Charlie's suggestion to leave it as French and drop the 'love', which makes it sound a bit odd...
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
In parts of SE Asia, it's called "eating a banana"("makan banana" in Indonesian, for example), or "smoking". A French girl offered me a "pipe" once, too....
Charlie Bavington Dec 14, 2004:
Actually "French loving" might work better. Can't explain why using the gerund makes it sound better, it just does. Also would be clearer what was meant (again, I can't put my finger on *why*, exactly!).
Charlie Bavington Dec 14, 2004:
I'd suggest that you leave it just as "French", on the assumption the reference is to fellatio. Your problem is that "French" is really slightly crude (context almost always prostitution) and "French love" is meaningless, really.
Terence Ajbro Dec 14, 2004:
I wouldn't know, but then I haven't been about so much as other contributors here apparently.
Richard Benham Dec 14, 2004:
As I said, I would understand the term. But as for "innuendo", that sounds like an Italian version of something else again....
Non-ProZ.com Dec 14, 2004:
I had suggestions not to leave 'french love' only translate it as 'oral sex/cunilingus/fellatio (depending on who does what to whom)'. Still, I would rather use 'french love' because it sounds more poetic than 'oral sex'. So, could you confirm that if you heard 'french love' you would more a less know what the innuendo is?
Non-ProZ.com Dec 14, 2004:
To Charlie: the meaning here is the 2nd from your answer
Terence Ajbro Dec 14, 2004:
I have only heard of French kiss and French letters.

Responses

11 mins
Selected

not quite

I have heard fellatio referred to as "French"--mainly in relation to prostitution, e.g. "I don't do French" (NOT from first-hand experience, I might add). There are also many jokes that suggest that orally focussed sexual activities are characteristically French, such as "Q: How does a Frenchwoman hold her liquor.? A: By the ears."

If someone used the term in conversation, it would sound unfamiliar, but I think I would know what was intended.

Peer comment(s):
neutral Tony M : First HAND, Richard? ;-)))
1 min
No, only by word of mouth....
neutral Terence Ajbro : Makes you wonder what "English love" is?
6 mins
I'm afraid I can't whip up any interest in that....
neutral Kemal Mustajbegovic : Where on earth, Mr Benham, did you learn manners!
58 mins
Your point being?
neutral Alexander Demyanov : Is my understanding correct that it's "I don't do" part that's not from first-hand experience?
1 hr
Hmm, well it had occurred to me that there was a loophole in that wording. Actually, I've never asked, and so I have never heard that answer....
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to all very much! I am still not convinced that I could ACTUALLY use *french love* and that it does not sound like a literal translation. "
+1
6 mins

two possibilities

1. French kissing - kissing with tongues (rather than just the lips)

2. French polishing - fellatio

Peer comment(s):
neutral Richard Benham : "French polishing", now that's new on me!//[...]//Puts a new perspective on "spit and polish", doesn't it?//"Giving" French? I thought you had to pay for it....//Make up your mind, is it French or Polish?
6 mins
you disbelieving soul :-) I deliberately didn't include any weblinks to it, given the nature of the act in question!
agree Tony M : Yes, I've often heard it referred to as "giving French" etc. /// Just look in any London phone box, RB! /// Me too --- but I tend to shelter in phone boxes a lot ;-))) /// Guess why I moved to France !
6 mins
"often" heard it referred to?? :-) I guess RB has just led a sheltered life...!
Something went wrong...
+1
11 mins

FRENCH LOVE [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.

FRENCH LOVE MORE C20 [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
http://www.amatory-ink.co.uk/thesaurus/sexualactivityoral.ht...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2004-12-14 13:15:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

FRENCH MORE lateC19 [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
MORE lateC19 [English] (v) ~ To fellate.
FRENCH ACTIVE MORE 1950\'s [English - gay] (n) ~ The receiver of fellatio.
FRENCH ART MORE lateC19 [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
FRENCH CULTURE MORE 1960\'s [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
FRENCHER MORE C20 [English] (n) ~ Any person, but usually male, who enjoys oral sex.
FRENCH HEAD JOB MORE 1940\'s [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
FRENCH LANGUAGE EXPERT MORE 1950\'s [English - gay] (n) ~ A fellator.
FRENCH LANGUAGE TRAINING MORE 1950\'s [English - gay] (n) ~ To teach another person fellatio.
FRENCH LOVE MORE C20 [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.
FRENCHMAN MORE C20 [English] (n) ~ One who offers fellatio.
FRENCH PASSIVE MORE 1950\'s [English - gay] (n) ~ A fellator.
FRENCH TRICK MORE midC19 [English] (n) ~ Oral sex.
FRENCH WAY MORE C20 [English] (n) ~ Fellatio.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 51 mins (2004-12-14 13:19:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

click on \"more\" and you get a whole page of \"french\" variations
Peer comment(s):
agree Richard Benham : Well there's a reasonable reference for it. I'd say that's got it licked.
4 mins
quoting you "French love" sucks.
neutral jccantrell : New one on me from the USA. Maybe I need to get out more. :) ---- Smart aleck!
2 hrs
to France??
Something went wrong...
+1
5 hrs

French Love = Oral sex

Anyway you want to do it.
Greek is the other.
American is no sex at all.
Peer comment(s):
agree airmailrpl : American is sex that ends up in the newspapers or TV
12 hrs
Cheers
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Sounds like a literal translation to me

Hi Miros,

The lack of context makes it difficult to judge. Undoubtedly, there are various ways in which 'French' is combined with other words to refer to sexually explicit practices but, to my knowledge, "French love" is not generally one of them.

If this expression is from a non-native speaker, you might ask him/her if the back-translation of the expression has that type of meaning in his/her language. Otherwise, common sense and context might give some indication as to the meaning intended.

A further possibility that the expression is used in an intentionally ambiguous manner, leaving it to the listener/reader to guess at what is meant.

What's more, who's to say the term may be used to refer to love in its more romantic sense, since this is also a very frequent association made by the British regarding French stereotypes (lack of context makes it hard to tell).

Further, stereotypes also have it that the French are passionate lovers, so it could also be meant to infer a sense of passion. At least in an etymological sense this term is more closely related to "French love" than any of the more explicit possibilities.

So it seems that "French love" could be used in a variety of registers and its meaning might be inferred via context, but it is not an everday expression to directly indicate a specific type of sexual practice.

Take care,

Álvaro :O) :O)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 34 mins (2004-12-15 13:02:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

According to the website provided in the comment above/below, almost any word you put together with \"French\" would have sexual connotations. Needless to say, some of them are quite absurd if not set within a context - brings Monty Python\'s famous \"Nudge, nudge, wink, wink\" sketch to mind.

I think the fact that most speakers actually debated over how it should be or is normally said proves that this is not a run of the mill expression for oral sex, as neither would \"French culture\" or \"French art\" be without the suitable context, not to mention \"French language expert\".
Peer comment(s):
agree Nancy Arrowsmith : as usual, context is the key!
45 mins
Thank you Nancy - precisely! :O) :O)
agree lim0nka : literal translation from Polish, for example
2 hrs
Really? Thank you Lim0nka, I had no idea! :O) :O)
disagree airmailrpl : http://www.amatory-ink.co.uk/thesaurus/sexualactivityoral.ht...
15 hrs
Thank you airmail! If you give credit to this link, "French art" and "French culture" are common expressions for "oral sex" to. A "French language expert" is somebody who practices it and a "Frenchman" one who offers it. I find this absurd. :O) :O)
disagree Tony M : In the given context about a sexual harrassment complaint, I'm afraid the sexual connotation is the first and only one that springs to mind
7 days
Hi Dusty - just back from a Xmas hol :O) :O) Given the context, I must agree. When this answer was posted it hadn't yet been clarified. HNY :O) :O)
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search