Master TGWBS would be far more up to date on both French and linguistics but having taken ages to perfect the rolled French R (in a language lab holding down teh tip of my tongue with a pen)..these days I only seem to use it when muttering "morrrrrrrrdorrrrrrrrrrr. Clearly either my French or my Elvish is wrong...
I think he may have been further prejudiced against France by some tragedy that unfolded while he was acting as a tutor on a trip there. I can't quite remember what.