aficionado* uh-fish’ ya-nah’doh (Spanish) an ardent devotee/enthusiast I was surprised at his sports knowledge, and what a football aficionado he was.

angst* angkst (German) dread and anxiety Sylvia’s teenage angst was nothing compared to the parental angst about raising her. The Scream circa1893 Edvard Munch Anxiety circa 1894 Edvard Munch

anno domini A. D.* ano dom e ni (Latin) “Year of our Lord;” after the birth of Christ; in a specified year in the Christian era A date such as 1998 A.D. literally means “the 1998th year of our Lord.”

ante bellum* an ti’ bell um (Latin) belonging to the period before the American Civil War The novel, Gone with the Wind, was set in the deep South during the antebellum period.

bona fide* boh’na fide (Latin) in good faith; genuine It was clear that she had a bona fide excuse for her absence; she brought a note from the doctor. Popeyes Bonafide Chicken Commercial - YouTube.htm

bon appetit* bon na pa te (French) good appetite; enjoy your meal Julia Childs ended her cooking shows with the phrase “bon appetit!”

bon voyage* bon vwa-yazh (French) used to express farewell and good wishes to a departing traveler; translated meaning “have a good trip” “Bon voyage!” we yelled to my parents aboard the cruise ship.

carpe diem* kar pay dee’um (Latin) seize the day John had a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel with his uncle to Australia for the whole summer. His parents’ response was “carpe diem!”

carte blanche* kart blonsh (French) unrestricted power to act on one’s own Her mom gave her “carte blanche” to use her credit card to buy whatever she wanted at the mall.

déjà vu* dey-zhah voo (French) an impression of having seen or experienced something before (already seen) The new television season had a sense of déjà vu about it—the same old plots and characters with new names.

e pluribus unum* e ploo-ri-boos oo-noom; (Latin) out of many, one Motto on the Great Seal of the United States and on many U.S. coins. [Although selected in 1776 by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson for the Continental Congress. It was not officially adopted until six years later; out of many, one.] E pluribus unum, “out of many, one,” is an appropriate motto for the United States of America.

esprit de corps* e-spree duh kawr (French) A common spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among members of the group; team spirit The freshman football team have only been together for one week, but they are already bound by a strong esprit de corps.

etcetera or etc.* et set-er-uh(Latin) continuing in the same way; and so forth Make sure you bring your tooth brush, comb, pajamas, overnight bag, etc. for the sleepover.

faux pas* foh pah’ (French) a social blunder or mistake in good manners; the term comes originally from French, and literally means "false step". Some consider wearing a “real” fur coat a definite fashion faux pas.

hakuna matata* ah koona ma ta ta (Swahili) no worries Hakuna matata! I have got everything under control.

hors d’oeuvres* or durvz (French) appetizer served before a meal Mother made the most delicious hors d’oeuvres for the party.

jihad* ji had (Arabic) An individual’s striving for spiritual self-perfection. (Islam) A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels; crusade or struggle. Middle Eastern extremists or terrorists have declared jihad against the west.

nemesis* nem i sis (Greek) a source of harm or ruin or an opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome; one that inflicts retribution or vengeance; to give what is due Batman was the Riddler's nemesis and vice versa. [ In Greek mythology, Nemesis (the goddess of Rhamnous“]

nom de plume* nom duh ploom (French) pen name; pseudonym Theodor Geisel Samuel Clemens Dr. Seuss is the nom de plume of Theodor Geisel because his parents wanted him to be a doctor.

per capita* (Latin) per person Brazil shows to have the highest consumption of sugar per capita in the world.

pro bono* pro boh ‘nah (Latin) work done or donated without a fee charged; free Many lawyers give free legal representation to poor people who can’t afford it; pro bono work is very satisfying. PRO BONO OPPORTUNITY Help Support Persons With Disabilities

Que sera sera* ke se-rah se-rah (Spanish) what will be, will be 7a-o Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo and their son Hank are on a touring holiday of Africa when they meet the mysterious Louis Bernard on a bus. The next day Bernard is murdered in the local marketplace, but before he dies he manages to reveal details of an assassination about to take place in London. Fearing that their plot will be revealed, the assassins kidnap Hank in order to keep the McKenna's silent. Ben and Jo go to London and take matters into their own hands

RSVP* Répondez s'il vous plaît (French) Please respond The term RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). The hostess needed a definite head count or RSVP for the party, so she could inform the caterer.

status quo* stat-uh s kwo (Latin) the existing condition or state of affairs Stick with what you know; stay with the status quo.

vice versa* v ice ver sa (Latin) the other way around “Jennifer is going to ask Joseph to the vice versa dance on Friday,” Tiffany shared.