| Word |
Origin |
Pronunciation |
Meaning |
Sentence |
| (sic) |
Latin |
sik |
You write (sic) in brackets after a word or expression when you are quoting something that someone else has said or written. |
She said that she liked very much London (sic) and wanted to stay here for a long time. |
| A la carte |
French |
uh -laa - cartey |
On the menu |
Restaurants usually offer variety on their à la carte with choices for each of the several courses. |
| A la minute |
French |
Uh-laa- minute |
To the minute |
This term is used in restaurant kitchens for dishes which are cooked to order, rather than made ahead of time |
| À la mode |
French |
uh - laa - mode |
In fashion, style |
Apparently someone decided that having ice cream on pie was the à la mode way to eat it. |
| A priori |
Latin |
ah pree-or'ee |
Based on theory rather than observation |
The fact that their house is in such disrepair suggests a priori that they are having financial difficulties |
| Acme |
Greek |
|
The highest point of a structure |
One could say that Rome reached the acme of its power on 117 AD, under the rule of Trajan. |
| Ad absurdum |
Latin |
ad ab-sir'dum |
To the point of absurdity |
He tediously repeated his argument ad absurdum. |
| Ad hoc |
Latin |
ad hok |
As an adjective, it means "formed or created with a specific purpose," and as an adverb, it means "for the specific purpose or situation." |
1. The World Bank's board on Friday ordered an ad hoc group to discuss the matter.
2. The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report. |
| Ad infinitum |
Latin |
ad in-fun-eye'tum |
To infinity |
The lecture seemed to drone on ad infinitum |
| Ad Nauseam |
Latin |
ad noz'ee-um |
If something that happens over and over again so that people get completely bored |
He talked ad nauseam about his achievements and how successful he is. It was boring! |
| Addendum |
Latin |
uh-den-duhm |
An item to be added, especially a supplement to a book. The plural is addenda. |
I will sign the contract once an addendum is included to require the lessor to repaint the apartment within 60 days. |
| adieu |
French |
uh-dee-oo |
Farewell, good bye |
I bade him adieu when he was leaving the country forever. |
| Aide-de-camp |
French |
eyd-duh-kamp |
Camp assistant |
A military officer who serves as a personal assistant to a higher-ranking officer. |
| Aide-mémoire |
French |
eyd-mem-wahr |
Memory aid; a note serving as a reminder |
In international relations, an aide-mémoire is a proposed agreement or negotiating text circulated informally among delegations for discussion. |
| Alma Mater |
Latin |
ahl-muh mah-ter |
One's old school |
Central High School is my alma mater." |
| Alter ego |
Latin |
awl-ter ee-goh |
Other (alternative) self |
A person with an alter ego is said to lead a double life |
| Alzheimer's Disease |
German |
ahlts-hahy-merz, dih-zeez |
Brain disease named for the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who first identified it in 1906 |
Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were asked to respond to simple probes of sentences where we manipulated grammatical factors, semantic factors, and cognitive resource demands associated with a sentence. |
| Ambiance |
French |
am-bee-uh ns |
The mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere, etc., particularly of an environment |
1. The restaurant had a delightful ambiance.
2. They serve excellent food, and are also noteworthy for their attractive interiors and sophisticated ambiance. |
| Amnesia |
Greek |
am-nee-zhuh |
Oblivion |
The woman who had been in an accident was suffering from amnesia and because of this she didn't recognize her family. |
| amour-propre |
French |
a-moor-praw-pruh |
Self love; self respect |
He was essentially a good-tempered man and had not a trace of amour propre in his nature. |
| Amphibious / amphibians |
Greek |
am-fib-ee-uh s /am-fib-ee-uh n |
Living a double life |
His talk will be on four wild animals, including an amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal. |
| Anachronism |
Greek |
uh-nak-ruh-niz-uh m |
Wrong time reference |
The intentional use of older, often obsolete cultural artifacts may be regarded as anachronistic. |
| Anagoge / anagogy |
Greek |
an-uh-goh-jee |
Spiritual uplift, reference to a principle |
Anagoge is currently in the bottom 30% of lookups on Merriam-Webster.com. |
| Anagram |
Greek |
an-uh-gram |
Transpose the letters of one word so as to form another |
Any word or phrase that exactly reproduces the letters in another order is an anagram. |
| Analogy |
Greek |
uh-nal-uh-jee |
Proportion |
It is argued that every analogy is partially superfluous and can be rendered as a deduction |
| Analyse / Analysis |
Greek |
an-l-ahyz |
Loosen, simplify |
Sentence analysis is not always easy but it is an essential tool in English Grammar |
| Anamnesis |
Greek |
an-am-nee-sis |
Recollection, reminiscence |
Anamnesis is often used as a narrative technique in fiction and poetry as well as in memoirs and autobiographies |
| Anecdote |
Greek |
an-ik-doht |
Unpublished |
The writer makes his living by anecdotes. He searches them out and carves them as the raw materials of his profession |
| Anemia |
Greek |
uh-nee-mee-uh |
Anemia refers to a condition characterized by a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of the red blood cells (or of the hemoglobin). |
Never feed an onion to your pet, as large amounts can destroy your pet's red blood cells causing anemia. |
| Anesthe- |
Greek |
an-uh s-thee |
Lack of sensation, insensibility under surgical treatment |
The doctors had to give local anesthesia to the patient to be able to remove his tooth. |
| Angst |
German |
ahngkst |
Dread and anxiety |
Sylvia's teenage angst was nothing compared to the parental angst experienced by the two individuals whose duty it was to raise her. |
| annus mirabilis |
Latin |
an'us muh-ra'buh-lis |
Wonderful year |
Last year was the annus mirabilis for my company. |
| Anorexia |
Greek |
an-uh-rek-see-uh |
Lack of appetite |
The most commonly affected by anorexia are young women in education aged between 15-25 |
| Antagonize |
Greek |
an-tag-uh-nahyz |
Struggle against, prove a match for |
Mix a little sincerity and gumption in your hard-line approach, and perhaps you'll get somewhere and not antagonize others. |
| aperitif |
French |
ah-per-i-teef |
Cocktail |
Start the evening by enjoying an aperitif beside the roaring fire in the snug lounge area. |
| aperitif |
Latin |
ah-per-i-teef |
To open |
Meaning of apéritif is to open and it has come into English language from Latin. |
| Aphrodite |
Greek |
af-ruh-dyt |
Risen from sea-foam, name of a goddess |
Aphrodite is known as the most beautiful of the goddesses. |
| Apple strudel |
German |
ap-uh l strood-l |
A type of pastry made with thin layers of dough, rolled up with a fruit filling |
In your free time try authentic apple strudel and Viennese coffee. |
| Aqua |
Latin |
ak-wuh |
Water |
Aqua aerobics is a water workout that improves fitness whilst protecting the joints. |
| Arthritis |
Greek |
ahr-thrahy-tis |
Inflammation of Joint |
The old lady looks crippled by arthritis. |
| Aspirin |
German |
as-per-in |
Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid) was invented by the German chemist Felix Hoffmann working for Bayer AG in 1899. |
The cost of prescribing aspirin was lower till about a few years ago. |
| Asulon (Asylum in English) |
Greek |
uh-sahy-luh m |
Sanctuary |
She ended up in a lunatic asylum shortly afterward a terrible road accident. |
| Attaché |
French |
a-ta-shey |
Attached; A person assigned to a diplomatic post |
Most of the Ambassadors have their attaché to deal with people's queries. |
| au contraire |
French |
oh kawn-trer |
On the contrary |
I told you that she misbehaved with me. Au contraire you are scolding me. |
| au courant |
French |
oh' koo-rahn' |
Up-to-date |
The shoes, the hair, the clothes-every last detail of her dress, in fact-was utterly au courant. |
| au gratin |
French |
oh graht-n |
With gratings; Anything that is grated and put on top of a dish, like breadcrumbs or cheese |
She likes to cook her pasta and grilled vegetables au gratin as her kids like that more. |
| Au gratin |
English |
oh graht-n |
With cheese |
I like my pizza au gratin that too with a lot of cheese. |
| Autopsia |
English |
aw-top-see |
Autopsy; a seeing for oneself |
Do you have a facility in this hospital to perform an autopsy? |
| bas-relief |
French |
bah-ri-leef |
Low relief/design; Sculpture that is only slightly more prominent than its background. |
The marble bas-relief panels were set into the walls of the hall. |
| beau geste |
French |
boh zhest' |
A fine or noble gesture, often futile. |
My fellow writers supported me by writing letters of protest to the publisher, but their beau geste could not prevent the inevitable. |
| beau monde |
French |
boh' mond |
High society |
Such elegant decor would impress even the beau monde. |
| Blitz |
German |
blits |
"Lightning" - a sudden, overwhelming attack |
Blitzed the opposition on his debut, cruising across the line to take victory in the croft round by more than two seconds
|
| Blond / blonde |
French |
blond |
Fair-haired: blond is for a man and blonde for a woman. |
I saw a blonde walking on the beach with a floral printed skirt. |
| bon appetit |
French |
baw na-pey-tee |
Good appetite; Enjoy your meal |
She invited us for a meal and said bon appétit when we began eating. |
| bon mot |
French |
bon moe' |
A witty remark or comment |
One bon mot after another flew out of his mouth, charming the audience. |
| bon vivant |
French |
bon vee-vahnt' |
A person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink. |
It's true he's quite the bon vivant, but when he gets down to business he conducts himself like a Spartan. |
| bon voyage |
French |
bon voi-ahzh |
Have a good trip |
Women in India apply vermillion on their husband's foreheads as a custom to bid bon voyage when they go on journeys. |
| bona fide |
Latin |
boh'na fide |
In good faith; genuine |
For all her reticence and modesty, it was clear that she was a bona fide expert in her field. |
| Bonjour |
French |
bohn-zhoor |
Good Morning. (also used in the afternoon) |
Looking forward to speaking with you all soon, bonjour! |
| Brunette |
French |
broo-net |
Small, dark-haired female; The French word brun, dark-haired, is what English really means by "brunette |
Ms Franklin, a stunning brunette, is serving four years for drugs offenses in a Texas jail. |
| carpe diem |
Latin |
kar'pay dee'um |
Seize the day |
"So what if you have an 8:00 a.m. meeting tomorrow and various appointments? Carpe diem! |
| carte blanche |
French |
kart blonsh |
Unrestricted power to act on one's own. |
may have carte blanche around the office, but at home I'm a slave to my family's demands. |
| casus belli |
Latin |
kay'sus bel'eye |
An act justifying war |
The general felt that the banana republic's insolent remarks about our national honor were enough of a casus belli to launch an attack. |
| cause celebre |
French |
(koz suh-leb'ruh |
A widely known controversial case or issue |
The Sacco and Vanzetti trial became an international cause célèbre during the 1920s. |
| caveat emptor |
Latin |
kav'ee-ot emp'tor |
Let the buyer beware |
Before you leap at that real estate deal, caveat emptor! |
| Census |
Latin |
sen-suh s |
Count of citizens |
Census of the population is being taken for the purpose of assessing revenue. |
| Cerise |
French |
suh-reez |
Cherry; The French word for the fruit gives the word for the color |
The Cerise plant flowers from June to October. |
| C'est La Vie |
French |
se la vee |
That's life |
I wanted the other one, but that's how it is, C'est La Vie |
| Chaise Longue |
French |
Cheyz lawng |
Long Chair |
This Chaise longue was better than what I had purchased last year. |
| Charge d'affaires |
French |
shahr-zhey duh-fair |
Charged with business; A substitute or replacement diplomat |
The American charge d'affaires and consul-general sent a letter to the President. |
| Chef D'ouvre |
French |
she-do-vruh |
Chief work; Masterpiece |
The painting of Monalisa is hailed as Chef D'ouvre by Leonardo Da Vinci. |
| Chic |
French |
sheek |
Stylish |
Chic sounds more chic than stylish |
| coffee klatsch (klatch) |
German |
kaw-fee klach |
A casual social gathering for coffee and conversation. |
I thoroughly enjoyed our coffee klatsch yesterday, the highlight of which was the discussion on global warming. |
| Collum |
Latin |
kal-em |
Collar |
The figure is wearing a heavy collum around the front of the neck, with a wide pendant in the center. |
| comme ci comme ça |
French |
kom see' kom sah' |
So-so |
The plans for the party strike me as comme ci comme ca |
| coup de grace |
French |
koo de grahss |
Finishing blow |
After an already wildly successful day, the coup de grâce came when she won best all-around athlete. |
| Cras |
Latin |
Kuh-raas |
Tomorrow |
As an optimist, he believes the show will start again cras even after several failures. |
| crème caramel |
French |
Krem kar-uh-mel |
Caramel cream; custard lined with caramel |
I really relish the custard that is baked in a caramel-lined mold and served chilled with the caramel side up. |
| creme de la creme |
French |
Krem-duh-la- Krem |
Something superlative; Cream of the cream; refers to the best of the best |
The crème de la crème of the world is invited to attend the Oscar Awards night. |
| creme fraiche |
French |
Krem-freysh- |
Fresh Cream; Despite its meaning, crème fraîche is in fact slightly fermented, thickened cream. |
You use creme fraiche instead of cheese to mix with mascarpone. |
| crepe de Chine |
French |
Kreyp-duh sheen |
Chinese crepe; soft fine or sheer clothing crepe especially of silk |
I saw a blue-eyed blonde in a lavender crepe de chine dress which highlighted her silhouette. |
| crime passionnel |
French |
Krahym-pash-uhn-el |
Passionate crime; Crime of passion |
His prison sentence will be reduced if his lawyer can convince the jury that the murder was a crime passionnel. |
| Cuisine |
French |
kwi-zeen |
Kitchen, Style, cuisine refers only to a particular type of food/cooking, such as French cuisine, Southern cuisine, etc. |
The inn's focal point is the restaurant with French Cuisine. |
| Cul-de-sac |
French |
kuhl-duh-sak |
Literally it means "bottom of a sack," but generally it refers to a dead-end street. Cul-de-sac can also be used metaphorically to express an action that leads to nowhere or an impasse. |
We had less traffic living on the cul-de-sac, but had trouble getting in and out. |
| De Facto |
Latin |
Dee fak-toh |
"Actual" (if used as an adjective) or "in practice" (if used as an adverb) In legal terms, de facto is commonly used in contrast to de jure, which means "by law." Something, therefore, can emerge either de facto (by practice) or de jure (by law). |
1. Mama was in bed all day every day, suffering from depression; my sister was my de facto mother.
2. Although his title was prime minister, he was de facto president of the country.
3. In this prominent position, she's making her own de facto debut as a writer with a message for the general public. |
| de rigueur |
French |
duh ree-gur |
Strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, or fashion |
Loudly proclaiming one's support for radical causes had become de rigueur among her crowd. |
| de rigueur |
French |
Duh rig-er |
Socially or culturally obligatory |
Face masks are de rigueur for the people of Lake Boga, due to the stench of rotting fish amid sweltering conditions. |
| debutante |
French |
deb-yoo-tahnt |
Beginner; débutante is the feminine form of débutant |
Nargis Fakhri is considered the most beautiful debutante of the current season. |
| degustation |
French |
Dee-guh-stey-shuh n |
Tasting; The French word simply refers to the act of tasting, while in English "degustation" is used for a tasting event or party, as in wine or cheese tasting. |
This menu degustation included four interesting and creative fish courses. |
| Dei Gratia |
Latin |
de-ee grah-tee-ah |
By the grace of God |
De Gratia, he survived a very bad road accident last week and is safe and healthy now. |
| Deja vu |
French |
dey-zhah voo |
The experience of perceiving a new situation as if it had occurred before. |
I'm sure I've been here before. Either that or I'm having a real sense of deja vu. |
| demode |
French |
dey-maw-dey |
Out of fashion |
|
| deus ex machine |
Latin |
day'us ex mahk'uh-ne |
A contrived device to resolve a situation |
Stretching plausibility, the movie concluded with a deus ex machina ending in which everyone was rescued at the last minute. |
| Diesel |
German |
dee-zuh l |
The diesel engine is named for its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913). |
My car runs on diesel unlike his which runs on petrol. |
| Dobermann |
German |
doh-ber-muh n |
Dog breed named for the German Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1894) |
I have 4 pugs, an English bulldog and a very naughty Dobermann |
| Dogma |
Greek |
dawg-muh |
The established belief or set of principles held by a religion, ideology or by any organization. |
The church played down the stranger aspects of its dogma, including life on other planets. |
| dolce vita |
Italian |
dole'chay vee'tuh |
Sweet life; the good life perceived as one of physical pleasure and self-indulgence. |
My vacation this year is going to be two uninterrupted weeks of dolce vita. |
| Doppelganger |
German |
dop-uh l-gang-er |
A ghostly double, look-alike, or clone of a person |
He saw his own doppelganger walking down the street, and ran home in terror. |
| Doppler effect |
German |
dop-ler ih-fekt |
Apparent change in the frequency of light or sound waves, caused by rapid movement; named for the Austrian physicist C.J. Doppler (1803-1853) who discovered the effect |
The use of the Doppler effect for light in astronomy depends on our knowledge that the spectra of stars are not continuous. |
| du jour |
French |
duh zhoo r |
Of the Day |
The soup du jour is cream of mushroom. |
| e.g. (exempli gratia) |
Latin |
|
For Example |
I buy many things in this shop e.g. video game player |
| eau de Cologne |
French |
oh duh kuh-lohn |
Water from Cologne |
After I got dressed up, he sprinkled me with eau de cologne. |
| eau de toilette |
French |
oh duh twah-let |
A Very weak Perfume |
He looked at the bottle of eau de toilette and said that he doesn't like it. |
| En Route |
French |
ahn root |
On the Way |
He had to come to pick me en route to the university. |
| En Suite |
French |
ahn sweet |
In Sequence, part of a set, together |
My husband would like a double room and I preferably with an en-suite bathroom. |
| enfant terrible |
French |
ahn-fahn' tay-reeb'luh |
An incorrigible child; an outrageously outspoken or bold person |
He played the role of enfant terrible, jolting us with his blunt assessment. |
| entente cordiale |
French |
Onfont kordy01 |
Cordial Agreement |
The Entente Cordiale regarding new finance policy between Prime Minister and parliament has been sealed today. |
| entre nous |
French |
ahn'truh noo |
Between ourselves; confidentially |
Entre nous, their marriage is on the rocks. |
| entrez |
French |
|
Come In |
|
| Erratum |
Latin |
ih-rah-tuh m |
Error; mistake |
Lists of errors from a previous publication are often marked "errata" (the plural, meaning errors). |
| Et cetera |
Latin |
et set-er-uh |
And the rest |
We urgently need to buy medical equipment, drugs et cetera. |
| Ethos |
Greek |
ee-thos |
"Accustomed place." It refers to a disposition or characteristics peculiar to a specific person, culture or movement |
We note that these days a great deal of advertising uses ethos extensively through celebrity endorsements. |
| Eureka |
Greek |
yoo-ree-kuh |
Used to celebrate a discovery, and it can be translated to "I have found!" |
Archimedes exclaimed Eureka! when he discovered a method of detecting the amount of alloy mixed with the gold in the crown of the king of Syracuse. |
| ex cathedra |
Latin |
ex kuh-thee'druh |
With authority; used especially of those pronouncements of the pope that are considered infallible. |
I resigned myself to obeying; my father's opinions were ex cathedra in our household. |
| Ex gratia |
Latin |
eks grey-shee-uh |
From kindness or grace (without recognizing any liability or legal obligation) |
They received an undisclosed ex gratia payment. |
| ex post facto |
Latin |
ex' post fak'toh |
Retroactively. |
I certainly hope that the change in policy will be honored ex post facto. |
| Excusez-moi ... |
Latin |
|
Excuse me...! (to ask for something) |
Excusez-moi. Could you please tell me where the library is? |
| Fahrenheit |
German |
far-uh n-hahyt |
The Fahrenheit temperature scale is named for its German inventor, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), who invented the alcohol thermometer in 1709. |
Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book paper burns. |
| fait accompli |
French |
fate ah-kom-plee |
An accomplished fact, presumably irreversible |
There's no use protesting-it's a fait accompli |
| Faux |
French |
foh |
FALSE |
She was wearing a faux pearl necklace in the party. |
| faux pas |
French |
foh pah |
A social blunder |
Suddenly, she realized she had unwittingly committed yet another faux pas. |
| Feinschmecker |
German |
fine'shmek-erv |
Gourmet |
No, I don't think McDonald's will do; he's much too much of a Feinschmecker. |
| femme fatale |
French |
fem fuh-tal |
Deadly Woman; An alluring, mysterious woman who seduces men into compromising situations |
She was such a femme fatale that every man she'd ever been with had ended up with a broken heart. |
| flagrante delicto |
Latin |
fla-grahn'tee di-lik'toh |
In the act |
The detective realized that without hard evidence he had no case; he would have to catch the culprit flagrante delicto. |
| Foie gras |
French |
fwah grah |
Fat liver - The liver of a force-fed goose, considered a delicacy |
I ate the terrine of foie gras and despite a lot of people loving it, I dint like it. |
| Frankfurter |
German |
frangk-fer-ter |
Hot dog, orig. a type of German sausage (Wurst) from Frankfurt; see "wiener" |
She makes such delicious Frankfurters that her kids want them at least once a week. |
| Gauche |
French |
gohsh |
Awkward; Tactless, lacking social grace |
An example of gauche is a guest at a fancy dinner party who arrives wearing jeans and flip flops in yellow colour. |
| Genesis |
Greek |
jen-uh-sis |
Birth or origin. Genesis is also the name of the first book of the Bible. |
Modern religions offer their own versions of genesis. |
| Genre |
French |
zhahn-ruh |
Type; Used mostly in art and film |
I really like the genre of the movie. |
| Glasnost |
Russian |
glaz'nohst |
Open and frank discussion: initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 in the Soviet Union |
Once the old chairman retired, the spirit of glasnost pervaded the department |
| Habeas corpus |
Latin |
hey-bee-uh s kawr-puh s |
You must have the body (in court); a court order instructing that a person under arrest be brought before a judge |
The right of habeas corpus has long been regarded as an important safeguard of individual liberty. |
| Halos (Halo in English) |
Greek |
hey-lohs |
Round shape, the disk of the sun, circular arcade at Delphi |
The picture of Jesus had a halo around the head. |
| Harmonia |
Greek |
hahr-moh-nee-uh |
Agreement, harmony |
A piece of music does not have to have perfect harmonia to be a powerful piece. |
| haute couture |
French |
oht koo-toor |
High cuisine; High-class, fancy (and expensive) cooking or food |
Haute couture casts its spell in Paris Fashion Show |
| Hoi polloi |
Greek |
hoy' puh-loy |
The common people |
Marie Antoinette recommended distributing the cake to the hoi polloi. |
| Hygiene |
Greek |
hahy-jeen |
Soundness, health |
It is in your best interest to maintain a good personal hygiene. |
| Hypnos |
Greek |
hip-nos |
Sleep |
Much of this psychiatrist's work used hypnosis to uncover the unconscious mind. |
| i.e. (id est) |
Latin |
|
That is |
When you use i.e. in a sentence to signify "that is," you do follow it with a comma. |
| In absentia |
Latin |
in ab-sen-shuh |
In one's absence |
|
| In loco parentis |
Latin |
in loh'koh pa-ren'tiss |
In the place of a parent. |
The court appointed a guardian for the children, to serve in loco parentis. |
| In medias res |
Latin |
in me'-dee-as rays |
In the middle of a sequence of occurences |
The film begins in medias res, with a panting, terrified man running through the night. |
| In Situ |
Latin |
in sit'too |
Situated in the original or natural position |
I prefer seeing statues in situ rather than in the confines of a .museum. |
| In vino veritas |
Latin |
in vee'no vare'i-toss |
In wine there is truth |
By the end of the party, several of the guests had made a good deal of their private lives public, prompting the host to murmur to his wife, 'in vino veritas |
| Inter |
Latin |
in-tur |
Among, Between |
Inter is a Latin neuter plural, so it can only mean among other things, not people. |
| Interim |
Latin |
in-ter-uh m |
Meanwhile, interval |
The interim mayor did a good job while he was in office. |
| Intra |
Latin |
Intra |
Within |
English play important roles in more use of intra-sentence conjunctions in legal translation |
| Ipso Facto |
Latin |
ip'soh fak'toh |
By the fact itself |
An extremist, ipso facto, cannot become part of a coalition. |
| Joie de vivre |
French |
zhwaduh vee-vruh |
Joy of living; The quality in people who live life to the fullest |
Helping the elderly is a joie de vivre of mine. |
| Kindergarten |
German |
kin-der-gahr-tn |
A school or class for young children between the ages of four and six years. |
She wanted to send her children to the best kinder garden in town. |
| Kudos |
Greek |
koo-dohz |
Fame or glory, usually resulting from an important act or achievement. |
They deserve the kudos because they could be deemed responsible for the marked improvement in their work. |
| Laissez-faire |
French |
les-ey fair |
Let it be - A policy of non-interference. Note the expression in French is laisser-faire |
The laissez faire policies of Coolidge and the Republicans are often blamed for the Great Depression. |
| Magnum opus |
Latin |
mag-nuhm oh-puh s |
A great work |
And from him we have immense amounts to learn, as Simon Schama's recent magnum opus vividly demonstrates. |
| Magnus |
Latin |
mag-nuh s |
Big, Great, magnitude |
In Latin, Magnus is masculine, magna is feminine and magnum is neutral. |
| Mano A Mano |
Spanish |
mah'no ah mah'no |
Directly or face-to-face in a confrontation or conflict |
Stay out of it,' he admonished his friends, 'I want to handle this guy mano a mano. |
| mardi gras |
French |
mahr-dee grah |
Fat Tuesday |
People came out of their houses to celebrate mardi gras carnival. |
| Mater |
Latin |
mey-ter |
Mother |
She has a loving and much loved mater, grandma and great grandma |
| matinee |
French |
mat-n-ey |
Morning |
I went to see the matinée show of the superhit movie with my friends. |
| Memento Mori |
Latin |
muh-men'toh more'ee |
A reminder that you must die |
The skull rested on the mantlepiece as a memento mori. |
| Mise En Scene |
French |
mee' zahn sen |
The stage setting; surroundings |
The mise en scene for the sci-fi movie was molded, futuristic furniture and blinding klieg lights. |
| Modus operandi |
Latin |
moh-duh s op-uh-ran-dee |
Mode of operating |
The serial killer's modus operandi is to stab the victim and let them bleed to death. |
| Mot Juste |
French |
moh zhoost' |
The exact, appropriate word |
"'Rats!' screamed the defiant three-year-old, immensely proud of his mot juste. |
| Ne Plus Ultra |
Latin |
nee' plus ul'truh |
The most intense degree of a quality or state |
Pulling it from the box, he realized he was face to face with the ne plus ultra of computers. |
| nom de plume |
French |
nom duh ploom |
Pen name |
Deciding it was time to sit down and begin a novel, the would-be writer spent the first several hours deciding upon a suitable nom de plume. |
| Nouvelle cuisine |
French |
noo-vel kwee-zeen |
New Cuisine; Cooking style developed in the 1960's and 70's that emphasized lightness and freshness |
This Michelin star holder restaurant has a glass floor and gourmet nouvelle cuisine. |
| oh la la |
French |
|
Oh dear |
Oh là là is usually misspelled and mispronounced "ooh la la" in English. |
| Opus Dei |
Latin |
|
The work of God |
The opus Dei prelature is governed world-wide by a prelate in Rome. |
| Oui / non |
French |
wee/nohn |
Yes/ No |
Tell me if it's a qui or non from your side on this deal by noon. |
| papier mache |
French |
pey-per-muh-shey |
Mashed paper; Used for Art |
The artists in Kerala make beautiful handicraft with papier mâché. |
| par excellence |
French |
pahr ek-suh-lahns |
The best of the best |
His demeanor to impress people is par excellence. |
| passe |
French |
pa-sey |
Old-fashioned, out-of-date, past its prime |
The hair falling on forehead is passe'. Its no more a fashion statement. |
| Per |
Latin |
Per |
According to; in accordance with |
If something happens as per normal, it means that it happens in the normal way. |
| Per capita |
Latin |
per kap-i-tuh |
For each person |
The country's annual income is Rs. 5000 per capita. |
| Per se |
Latin |
per say |
"By itself" or "intrinsically. |
This candidate is not a pacifist per se, but he is in favor of peaceful solutions when practicable. |
| Persona Non Grata |
Latin |
per-soh'nuh non grah'tuh |
Unacceptable or unwelcome person |
Once I was cut out of the will, I became persona non grata among my relatives. |
| petit |
French |
pet-ee |
Small; (law) lesser, minor |
The petit kid was bubbling with joy on seeing the balloons. |
| petite |
French |
puh-teet |
Small, short |
The petite actress is a joy to watch on screen.
|
| Phobia |
Greek |
foh-bee-uh |
Many people wrongly think that a phobia is a fear. In reality it is more than that. Phobia is an irrational and exaggerated fear of something. |
He has a phobia of crowded places, so he avoids going out to the market. |
| Photon |
Greek |
foh-ton |
Plant |
The garden show had photon species from around the world. |
| Plethora |
Greek |
pleth-er-uh |
When one goes beyond what is needed or appropriate. It represents an excess or undesired abundance. |
He has a plethora of knowledge when it comes to human psychology. |
| Post partum |
Latin |
|
After childbirth |
She was unconscious for an hour Post partum. |
| Post-mortem |
Latin |
|
Examination of a body after death; autopsy |
The post-mortem revealed that she had been murdered. |
| potpourri |
French |
poh-poo-ree |
Rotten pot; A scented mixture of dried flowers and spices; a miscellaneous group or collection |
She gifted me a potpourri made from the dozens of the roses. |
| Prima Facie |
Latin |
pry'ma fay'she |
At first sight, clear and evident |
Although her husband implored, 'I can explain!' the sight of another woman wrapped in his arms was prima facie evidence that he was a deceitful lout. |
| Prior |
Latin |
prahy-er |
First, Primary, Priority |
Please make sure that you save all the information prior to closing the file. |
| Pro and con |
Latin |
Proh and kon |
For and against |
Evaluate all the pros and cons that you may have in future if you take this step. |
| Pro Bono |
Latin |
pro boh'noh |
Done or donated without charge; free |
The lawyer's pro bono work gave him a sense of value that his work on behalf of the corporation could not. |
| Pro rata |
Latin |
proh rey-tuh |
Proportional; proportionally |
The car rental charge is $50 per day and then pro rata for part of a day. |
| Psalm |
Greek |
sahm |
To play, twang |
He makes people rise at five in the morning to sing psalms. |
| Pseudo |
Greek |
|
False, a falsity |
Pseudo names are used in some call centers to maintain privacy of the employees. |
| Quid Pro Quo |
Latin |
kwid' pro kwoh |
Something for something; an equal exchange |
She vowed that when she had the means, she would return his favors quid pro quo. |
| R.I.P. (Requiescat in pace) |
Latin |
soo-doh |
Rest in Peace |
The Mughal kings made big tombs to Requiescat in pace. |
| Rendezvous' |
French |
rahn-duh-voo |
Go to; refers to a date or an appointment |
Sail away to a romantic rendezvous for two or windsurf atop the waves like dolphin at play. |
| repartee |
|
rep-er-tee |
Quick, accurate response |
His songs were witty and well crafted with highly intelligent lyrics and his between-song stories and audience repartee were of the same high standard. |
| RSVP |
|
|
Respond Please |
Please send your RSVP to the invitation after receiving the letter. |
| sans |
|
sanz |
Without |
She sans the glamour that the new entrants in the fashion world possess. |
| Sans Souci |
French |
sahn soo-see |
Carefree |
After few glasses of liquor, their mood turned distinctly sans souci. |
| Savoir-Faire |
French |
sav'wahr fair |
The ability to say and do the correct thing |
She presided over the gathering with impressive savoir-faire. |
| Schadenfreude |
German |
shah den froy'deh |
Pleasure at someone else's misfortunes |
Schadenfreude suffused the classroom after the insufferably supercilious class pet was caught cheating by the teacher. |
| Sine qua non |
Latin |
sin'ay kwah nohn' |
Indispensable element or condition |
Lemon is the sine qua non of this recipe. |
| Sotto voce |
Italian |
suh'tow voh'chee |
In a quiet voice, attempting not to be overheard. |
While the others were distracted, he filled me in sotto voce on all the deliciously sordid details of the scandal. |
| Sponsor |
Latin |
spon-ser |
One who accepts responsibility for another |
She was looking for a sponsor for her charitable organisation. |
| Status quo |
Latin |
Status- Ko |
The existing state or condition |
People with money are often content with their status quo. |
| Sui Generis |
Latin |
su'ee jen'e-ris |
Unique |
Adjusting her pirate's hat and fringed hula skirt, Zelda sashayed into the party, knowing her fashion statement was sui generis. |
| Terminus |
Latin |
tur-muh-nuh s |
Boundary, Terminal, Interminable |
The bus line's last stop is its terminus. |
| Terra firma |
Latin |
fur-muh |
Solid Ground |
Columbus and his men set foot on terra firma after three weeks at sea. |
| terra incognita |
Latin |
tare'uh in-kog-nee'tuh |
Unknown territory |
When the conversation suddenly switched from contemporary fiction to medieval Albanian playwrights, he felt himself entering terra incognita |
| tete-a-tete |
|
teyt-uh-teyt |
Head to head; A private talk or visit with another person |
She decided to have a tête-à-tête with her seniors when she needed more guidance and help. |
| Tout le monde |
French |
too luh mond |
Everybody; everyone of importance. |
Don't miss the event; it's bound to be attended by tout le monde |
| Trans |
Latin |
trahns |
Across |
He came back, wondering, trans the rough stones until he stood beside the tall figure |
| Ultra |
Latin |
uhl-truh |
Beyond |
Members of the country club think they lead an ultra-prestigious lifestyle. |
| Veni, Vidi, Vici. |
Latin |
ven'ee vee'dee vee'chee |
I came, I saw, I conquered |
After the takeover the business mogul gloated, 'veni, vidi, vici |
| Verbatim |
Latin |
|
In exactly the same words |
I had to memorize the text verbatim. |
| Verboten |
German |
fer-boh'ten |
Forbidden, as by law; prohibited |
That topic, I am afraid, is verboten in this household |
| Versus; vs.; v |
Latin |
vur-suh s |
Against |
What are the benefits of organic versus inorganic foods? |
| via |
French |
vahy-uh |
By way of |
Instead of taking the straight road, she decided to go via market so that she could pick groceries on the way. |
| Vice versa |
Latin |
vahy-suh vur-suh |
The other way around |
My telephone serves me, and not vice versa. |
| Vis-a-Vis |
French |
vee-zuh-vee |
"Face to face" (used as an adverb). It is used more widely as a preposition though, meaning "compared with" or "in relation to." |
He offered a cigarette to his vis-à-vis. |
| Vox populi |
Latin |
voks pop'yoo-lieg |
The voice of the people |
My sentiments echo those of the vox populi |
| Wanderjahr |
German |
vahn'der-yahr |
A year or period of travel, especially following one's schooling. |
The trio took off on their Wanderjahr, intent on visiting every museum between Edinburgh and Rome. |
| Weltschmerz |
German |
velt'shmerts |
Sorrow over the evils of the world. |
His poetry expressed a certain Weltschmerz, or world-weariness. |
| Zeitgeist |
German |
zite'guyst |
The thought or sensibility characteristic of a particular period of time. |
She blamed it on the Zeitgeist, which encouraged hedonistic excess. |