Is calling a Frenchamn a frog or froggie really an offensive or derogatory term?
I feel that these things can be taken too far, I'm presuming that it's a term that has originated from Britain in relation to our bemusement that the French would eat our slimy little amphibious friends.In return the Froggies call us Rosbifs due to their belief that this is the only dish that we eat.
I've seen French sportsmen on telly over here quite good naturedly calling themselves a froggie (& us rosbifs), I don't think it really equates to the more offensive & clearly hurtful racial slurs that exist.
I believe that by kicking up a fuss about these kinds of terms it dilutes attitudes towards the genuinely offensive terms & allows people to harp on about political correctness gone mad & justify their continuing use of the nasty stuff.
I found this on the web whilst looking at some stuff about it
Queen Elizabeth I used to affectionately call her French ambassador lover "frog"
so there you all go it's really an affectionate term for our soap-phobic* gallic cousins.
*Before harrasing me for the use of racial stereotype let me bring to your attention the results of a survey that show the average Frenchman to spend a small fraction that his English equivalent does on soaps & toiletries & is inclined to take a shower or bath on far fewer occasions also.