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AP English French Vocab > French Vocab > Flashcards

French Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

Au courant (adj.)

A

Well-informed; up to date

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2
Q

bourgeois (adj)

A
  1. having to do with the middle class

2. concerned with petty, materialistic interest; lacking in culture or refinement

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3
Q

clairvoyant (adj)

A

Clear sighted; unusually perceptive

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4
Q

debonair (adj)

A

courteous, gracious, and charming

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5
Q

gauche (adj)

A

lacking social grace; crude; tactless; awkward

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6
Q

maladroit (adj)

A

unskillful; clumsy

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7
Q

attache (n)

A

member of the diplomatic staff of an ambassador or minister

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8
Q

bourgeoisie (n)

A

the middle class

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9
Q

charge d’ affaires (n)

A

temporary substitute for an ambassador

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10
Q

confrere (n)

A

colleague; co-worker; comrade

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11
Q

coterie (n)

A

set or circle of acquaintances; clique

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12
Q

emigre (n)

A

refugee; person who has fled (emigrated) from his or her native land because of political conditions

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13
Q

envoy (n)

A

diplomatic agent or messenger

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14
Q

gendarme (n)

A

armed police officer, especially in France and other European countries

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15
Q

gourmand (n)

A

person excessively fond of eating and drinking ; glutton

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16
Q

ingenue (n)

A

actress playing the role of a naive young woman; naive young woman

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17
Q

maitre d’hotel (n)

A

headwaiter

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18
Q

martinet (n)

A

person who enforces very strict discipline

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19
Q

nonpareil (n)

A

person of unequaled excellence; paragon

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20
Q

nouveaux riches (n pl.)

A

persons newly rich

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21
Q

parvenu (masc. n)

A

Person suddenly risen to wealth or power who lacks proper social qualifications; upstart

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22
Q

raconteur (n)

A

person who excels in telling stories, anecdotes, etc.

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23
Q

valet (n)

A

manservant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of his employer’s clothes

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24
Q

aplomb (n)

A

absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession

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25
Q

eclat (n)

A

brilliancy of achievement

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26
Q

elan (n)

A

enthusiasm eagerness for action

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27
Q

ennui (n)

A

feeling of weariness and discontent; boredom; tedium

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28
Q

esprit de corps (n)

A

feeling of union and common interest pervading a group; devotion to a group or to its ideals

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29
Q

legerdemain (n)

A

sleight of hand; artful trick

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30
Q

malaise (n)

A

vague feeling of bodily discomfort or illness

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31
Q

noblesse oblige (n)

A

principle that persons of high rank or birth are obligated to act nobly

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32
Q

sangfroid (n)

A

coolness of mind or composure in difficult circumstances; equanimity

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33
Q

savoir faire (n)

A

knowledge of just what to do; tact

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34
Q

billet-doux (n)

A

love letter

35
Q

bon not (n)

A

clever saying; witty remark

36
Q

canard (n)

A

false rumor; absurd story; hoax

37
Q

entre nous (adv)

A

between us confidentially

38
Q

mot juste (n)

A

the exactly right word

39
Q

nom de plume (n)

A

pen name; pseudonym

40
Q

precis (n)

A

brief summary

41
Q

repartee (n)

A

skill of replying quickly, cleverly, and humorously; witty reply

42
Q

riposte (n)

A
  1. quick retort or repartee

2. in fencing, a quick return thrust after a parry

43
Q

tete-a-tete (n)

A

private conversation between two persons

44
Q

bete noire (n)

A

object or person dreaded; bugbear

45
Q

care blanche (n)

A

full discretionary power; freedom to use one’s own judgement

46
Q

cause celebre (n)

A

famous case in law that arouses considerable interest; an incident or situation attracting much attention

47
Q

contretemps (n)

A

inopportune occurrence; embarrassing situation or mishap

48
Q

debacle (n)

A

collapse; overthrow; rout

49
Q

fait accompli (n)

A

thing already done

50
Q

melange (n)

A

mixture; medley; potpourri

51
Q

coup d’etat (n)

A

sudden violent, or illegal overthrow of a government

52
Q

demarche (n)

A

course of action, especially one involving a change of policy

53
Q

detente (n)

A

a relaxing, as of strained relations between nations

54
Q

entente (n)

A

understanding or agreement between governments

55
Q

lettre de cachet (n)

A

sealed letter obtainable from the King of France (before the Revolution) ordering the imprisonment without trial of the person named in the letter

56
Q

premier (n)

A

prime minister

57
Q

rapprochement (n)

A

establishment or state of cordial relations; coming together

58
Q

bas-relief (n)

A

carving or sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background

59
Q

chef d’oeuvre (n)

A

masterpiece in art, literature, etc.

60
Q

vignette (n)

A

short verbal description; small; graceful literary sketch

61
Q

aperitif (n)

A

alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appretizer

62
Q

consomme (n)

A

clear soup; broth

63
Q

demitasse (n)

A

small cup for, or of, black coffee

64
Q

piece de resistance (n)

A
  1. main dish

2. main item of any collection, series, program, etc.

65
Q

table d’hote (n)

A

complete meal of several courses offered in a hotel or restaurant at a fixed price

66
Q

bouffant (adj)

A

puffed out; full

67
Q

chemise (n)

A

loose-fitting, sacklike dress

68
Q

coiffure (n)

A

style of arranging the hair, headdress

69
Q

cravet (n)

70
Q

apropos (adv)

A

by the way; incidentally

71
Q

apropos (adj)

A

appropriate; relevant; pertinent

72
Q

avoirdupois (n)

A

weight; heaviness

73
Q

bagatelle (n)

74
Q

coup de grace (n)

A

decisive finishing blow

75
Q

fete (n)

A

festival; entertainment; party

76
Q

fete (v)

A

honor with a fete

77
Q

milieu (n)

A

environment; setting

78
Q

par excellence (adj)

A

above all others of the same sort (follows the word it modifies)

79
Q

passe (adj)

A

old-fashioned; behind the times; outmoded

80
Q

pince-nez (n)

A

eyeglasses clipped to the nose by a spring

81
Q

raison d’etre (n)

A

reason or justification for existing

82
Q

sobriquet (n)

83
Q

tour de force (n)

A

feat of strength , skill , or ingenuity

84
Q

vis-a-vis (prep)

A

face to face;opposite

AP English French Vocab (1 decks)

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