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Foreign Wds and Phrs
Foreign Words and Phrases
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| ad hoc | “for this purpose”; for the present matter or situation; temporary |
| au courant | up-to-date; contemporary |
| beau geste | noble gesture |
| bona fide | “in good faith”; sincere, genuine |
| bon mot | clever turn of phrase |
| caveat emptor | “let the buyer beware”; buyer takes the risk; no warranty |
| chef d'oeuvre | masterpiece |
| chutzpah | gall; daring |
| circa | about; approximately |
| coup de'etat | a sudden, decisive exercise of force in politics; overthrow of government |
| cum laude | “with praise”; with honor |
| declasse | fallen in social standing |
| de facto | functioning or existing in fact, or in reality, but not in accordance with the usual legal process |
| de jure | legally, according to the law |
| detente | easing of strained relations |
| esprit de corps | common spirit within a group |
| ex post facto | after the fact or event; retroactive |
| fiat | “let it be done”; a command; a decree |
| glasnost | “publicity”; openness |
| haute couture | high fashion |
| kvetch | complain; gripe |
| magna cum laude | with great honor |
| noblesse oblige | honorable behavior that is considered to be the obligation of people of noble birth or rank |
| nom de plume | pen name |
| nonpareil | having no equal |
| non sequitur | “it does not follow”; a response that doesn’t follow logically from a previous statement; fallacy |
| par excellence | above all; superior |
| per capita | “by heads”; for each one |
| per se | “by, of, or in itself, oneself, or themselves”; of its own accord |
| pro rata | proportionately |
| quid pro quo | “something for something”; something given for something received |
| raison d'etre | reason for being |
| reduction ad absurdum | “reduction to absurdity”; disproving an argument by showing its absurd direction |
| savoir faire | “knowing how to do”; ability to say and do the right thing |
| summa cum laude | with highest honor |
| verbatim | “word for word”; exactly as said or written |
| Weltschmerz | “world pain”; world weariness |