Foreign Words and Phrases EOC Vocabulary

September 18 RSVP- please answer Déjà vu- feeling of already having experienced a situation Faux pas- a tactless social blunder

September 19 Du Jour- of the day Bon voyage- have a good trip Alma mater- the school where you graduated

September 20 Magna cum laude- to graduate with a 3.50 or better Femme fatale- a woman to be considered dangerously seductive Esprit de corps- the spirit of a group that makes it want to succeed

September 21 Verbatim- word for word E pluribus unum- Out of many –one This is the motto on the American seal Prima donna- a vain and tempermental person- usually a woman, what we now call a diva

September 22 Verbatim- word for word E pluribus unum- Out of many –one This is the motto on the American seal Prima donna- a vain and tempermental person- usually a woman, what we now call a diva

September 25 Avant-garde- coming up with something new, especially in the field of art Status quo- the way things are now Joie de vivre- joy of living

September 26 Carte blanche- free card, blank check Ex. I gave my friend carte blanche in buying me a prom dress. Caveat emptor-let the buyer beware (as is) I need someone to buy my car caveat emptor. Alpha and omega- beginning and end

September 27 Tabula rasa- a blank slate Ex. When you are born, you are a tabula rasa; therefore, you are a product of your experiences. Hoi polloi- the masses Ex. The hall people are the hoi polloi. Ad nauseam- to the point of nausea Ex. Sometimes Mrs. Brawner tells us the same thing ad nauseam.

Carpe diem- seize the day (in other words “YOLO”) Tempus fugit- time flies C’est la vie- that’s life!!

bona fide- good faith Ex. She’s a bona-fide registered nurse. savoir faire- The distinctive ability to know how to deal with a situation Ex. He has a lot of savoir faire when dealing with principals at Bolton. non sequitur- not sequential logic Ex. His explanation for being late was non sequitur.

id est-that is (to say)" in the sense of "that means" and "which means", or "in other words", or sometimes "in this case" Mostly used as an abbreviation – i.e Ex. I’m going to my favorite class (i.e. English class). enfant terrible- it means a bratty spoiled child- usually famous, but it can also be used to describe a person who does or says indiscreet or embarrassing things all the time. Ex. Lindsay Lohan is an enfant terrible.

terra firma- solid ground Ex. After the Japanese tsunami, the people were happy to see terra firma. vox populi- the popular opinion Ex. The vox populi around Memphis was that the schools should not be consolidated.

Word Bank RSVP E pluribus unum Vox populi Déjà vu Tempus fugit Faux pas Prima donna Non sequitor Du jour Avante-garde Id est Bon voyage Status quo Savoir faire Alma mater Joie de vivre Enfant terrible Cum laude Carte blanche Hoi polloi Femme fatale Caveat emptor Alpha and omega Cest la vie Tabular rasa Esprit de corps Terra firma Carpe diem Bona fide verbatim