Tommy French: How British First World War Soldiers Turned French into Slang

By Julian Walker

‘Napoo’, ‘compray’, ‘san fairy ann’, ‘toot sweet’ are anglicized French phrases that came into use on the Western Front during the First World War as British troops struggled to communicate in French. Over four years of war they created an extraordinary slang which reflects the period and brings the conflict to mind whenever it is heard today.

Julian Walker, in this original and meticulously researched book, explores the subject in fascinating detail. In the process he gives us an insight into the British soldiers’ experience in France during the war and the special language they invented in order to cope with their situation.

He shows how French place-names were anglicized as were words for food and drink, and he looks at what these slang terms tell us about the soldiers’ perception of France, their relationship with the French and their ideas of home. He traces the spread of ‘Tommy French’ back to the Home Front, where it was popularized in songs and on postcards, and looks at the French reaction to the anglicization of their language.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: May 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781526765932

Julian Walker

Julian Walker is a social development practitioner, with a background in social anthropology and research interest related to urban spatial rights, gender and social identity. He is an Associate Professor at the Bartlett Development Planning Unit of University College London, where he is the Co-Programme Leader of the MSc Social Development Practice, the Director of the DPU's Training and Advisory Services, and the Director of the DPU's Gender Policy and Planning Programme.