# Polyglot Presidents

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814 "2012-09-06T00:39:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814/21 "2012-09-07T02:35:12Z")

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> [@kayT](#):
>
> Is a danish called a danish in Danish?

In Danish it’s called a Kennedy.

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814/22 "2012-09-07T03:55:00Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Interestingly, seven of those were 18th or 19th century presidents who only spoke Latin, classical Greek, or Hebrew, which were standard requirements at the better schools in those days. (And they probably weren’t of too much use in conducting diplomacy.)

I’m guessing we’ve had alot more Presidents that could speak French then we did Hebrew.

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814/23 "2012-09-07T04:21:09Z")

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I must say I am surprised at thatblist. Most educated men of that time spoke French and I would have thought people like Grant (a West Pointer) would have been familiar with it.

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**Author:** ![kombatminipig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polyglot-presidents/633814/24 "2012-09-07T05:35:58Z")

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> [@kayT](#):
>
> Is a danish called a danish in Danish?

Nope, it’s called “wienerbrød”, or Viennese bread, correctly denoting its origin. Like Swedish Massage, Russian Dressing, French Toast or French Fries, it’s one of the many things whose origin has been messed up in the English Language.

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