Foreign Words Flashcards
adieu
another term for goodbye
Ad hominem
arising from or appealing to the emotions and not reason or logic
Au contraire
on the contrary
Au revoir
goodbye until we meet again
Belle
Belle
Bildungsroman
a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or education
blasé
unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before
c’est la vie
that’s life; such is life
cachet
the state of being respected or admired; prestige
carte blanche
complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best
charlatan
a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge of skill
doppelgänger
an apparition or double of a living person
double entendre
a word or phrase open to two interpretations, one of which is usually risqué or indecent
Élan
energy, style, and enthusiasm
ennui
a feeling of dissatisfaction and listlessness arising from a lack of occupation or excitement
ergo
therefore
et al
and others
fait accompli
a thing that has already happened or been decided before those affected hear about it, leaving them with no option but to accept
gauche
lacking ease or grace; unsophisticated and socially awkward
in medias res
into the middle of a narrative; without preamble
je ne sais quoi
a quality that cannot be described or named easily
joie de vivre
exuberant enjoyment of life
n.b. nota bene
observe carefully or take special notes
persona non grata
an unacceptable or unwelcome person
post hoc ergo propter hoc
after this, therefore resulting from it: used to indicate that a causal relationship has erroneously been assumed from a merely sequential one.
quid pro quo
a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something
re
rhenium
red herring
something, especially a clue, that is or is intended to be misleading or distracting
tête-a-tête
a private conversation between 2 people
vis-á-vis
in relation to; with regard to
zeitgeist
the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time
