# Why are the French called 'Frogs'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2000, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878 "2000-11-19T21:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/41 "2013-05-20T16:33:02Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > … I don’t know what “three parts” you’re refering too, either. … The worst are the Belgians. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/42 "2013-05-20T16:37:22Z")
What else would you call them? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/43 "2013-05-20T16:48:45Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > The worst are the Belgians. 😉 Only two kinds of people I hate: Bigots and Belgians. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/44 "2013-05-20T17:02:43Z")
> [@Tomcat](#): > > 'Cuz its easier to say ‘frogs’ in a sentence than ‘cheese-eating-surrender-monkeys’? That took a lot of Gaul. ---
**Author:** ![thereality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@thereality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thereality)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/45 "2013-05-20T17:04:14Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Clearly, more than you have. > We did, you’re wrong. This isn’t rocket science. Sorry mate your wrong!!! Your looking in the wrong places If you want to see proof and I have friends who live in Paris who have seen the artwork and the history who believe these things as I also do. If you want to know the true Orgin of the frog power look this link up. [http://www.biblemagazine.com/magazine/vol-11/v11i2mag.pdf](http://www.biblemagazine.com/magazine/vol-11/v11i2mag.pdf) Case closed ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/46 "2013-05-20T17:09:11Z")
I know they’re remaking the movie, _Carry_, but I didn’t realize her mom was already posting here! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/47 "2013-05-20T17:29:34Z")
> [@thereality](#): > > If you want to know the true Orgin of the frog power look this link up. > > [http://www.biblemagazine.com/magazine/vol-11/v11i2mag.pdf](http://www.biblemagazine.com/magazine/vol-11/v11i2mag.pdf) Now it can be revealed. After much bombast but no links to sources, you have exposed your true colors. Your source, and one that cannot be contradicted, is Teh Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/48 "2013-05-20T17:36:30Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I know they’re remaking the movie, _Carry_, but I didn’t realize her mom was already posting here! Carry On, My Wayward Son… would be a good title for thereality, but the movie and book are spelled _Carrie_. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/49 "2013-05-20T17:48:42Z")
According to this fairly authoritative site on Heraldry, says > [@](#): > > Frogs, toads, tadpoles, and powets are all named, though rarely in English heraldry. They have not been observed in French examples. As far as all of this being bible related, given that the reference to frogs in Revelation is very negative > [@](#): > > And I saw three foul spirits like frogs coming from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet. I doubt that one use this passage as a basis for placing frogs on their coat of arms. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/50 "2013-05-20T17:56:55Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I doubt that one use this passage as a basis for placing frogs on their coat of arms. Oh, Ye of little faith! Biblical passages can be twisted and used for anything you want, and often are. A little imagination goes a long ways. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/51 "2013-05-20T18:02:59Z")
> [@thereality](#): > > If you want to see \*\*proof \*\*and I have friends who live in Paris who have seen the artwork and the history who believe these things as I also do. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/52 "2013-05-20T18:06:39Z")
It’s a conspiracy to suppress the true meaning of the Frogs. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/53 "2013-05-20T18:09:05Z")
Oh, \*three \*frogs. That makes sense then; I was trying to work out how \*tree \*frogs got involved with this example of bibliomancy. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/54 "2013-05-20T18:24:07Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Oh, \*three \*frogs. That makes sense then; I was trying to work out how \*tree \*frogs got involved with this example of bibliomancy. Yeah, me too. I had to reread the post to REALLY understand him. What is it with this spring’s visitors and zombie threads? Sunspots? Radiation? Mind-control rays? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/55 "2013-05-20T18:27:06Z")
> [@thereality](#): > > … look into it a bit more i thought we where fighting ignorance not sercuming to it? Quoted for irony. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/56 "2013-05-20T18:39:59Z")
I checked out, and there’s indeed a medieval tradition acording to which Clovis used 3 toads (not frogs) as is coat of arms. Apparently the idea was indeed that before his conversion, Clovis used them because they were the symbol of the devil (and Clovis, as a pagan, would have served the devil). According to said tradition, he would have switched to three fleur de lys after his conversion. However, there was no coat of arms at the time of Clovis. So, that’s just a medieval legend (indeed used in medieval depictions of Clovis). ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/57 "2013-05-20T19:08:57Z")
Calling them snails or escargots would make more sense. Frogs are not that common in French restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/58 "2013-05-20T19:10:29Z")
> [@thereality](#): > > Case closed Oh. Well. In that case… ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/59 "2013-05-20T19:20:04Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I checked out, and there’s indeed a medieval tradition acording to which Clovis used 3 toads (not frogs) as is coat of arms. Apparently the idea was indeed that before his conversion, Clovis used them because they were the symbol of the devil (and Clovis, as a pagan, would have served the devil). According to said tradition, he would have switched to three fleur de lys after his conversion. > However, there was no coat of arms at the time of Clovis. So, that’s just a medieval legend (indeed used in medieval depictions of Clovis). Plus if there had been such a thing as coats of arms, using a negative symbol of a religion you don’t believe in (which is not the same as a religion you’re an enemy of) would be ass-backwards. “Hey, how come your coat of arms depicts Hera throwing Hephaistos down?” “Oh, it’s because I don’t believe in the Greek gods!” Very logical. It could have been used if it happened to be a symbol of something else, but not “because those guys hate it”. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878/60 "2013-05-20T19:25:37Z")
“The three legged frog, burning with many colours, is in the end only bewildered, by the gums, of its own teeth.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-french-called-frogs/41878.md?page=4)