Foreign Words and Phrases
RSVP Please respond
Déjá vu the experience of feeling sure that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously
faux pas A social blunder
faux pas
du jour Made for a particular day
bon voyage Have a nice trip
Alma mater the school, college, or university that one has attended
Cum laude with praise; an honor added to a diploma or degree for work above average. praise
Femme fatale fem fa tal an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire
Esprit de corps espree decor group spirit; sense of pride, honor, etc. shared by those in the same group or undertaking
verbatim Word for word
E pluribus unum e plura bus u num out of many, one
Prima donna first lady
Avant-garde a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. normstatus quonormstatus quo
Avant-garde
Status quo status quo--the present, existing state of affairs
Joie de vivre juwah de viv a cheerful enjoyment of life life
Joie de vivre
Carte blanche Carte blanche kärt blänch unconditional authority
Caveat emptor cav e ot emp tor “let the buyer beware;” the buyer is responsible for assessing the value of what is purchased at the time of the purchase
Alpha and omega the beginning and the end: alpha and omega are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet
Tabula rasa The premise that individual human beings are born with no innate or built-in mental content, in a word, "blank", and that their entire resource of knowledge is built up gradually from their experiences and sensory perceptions.
Hoi polloi hoy poloy the masses; the people
Ad nauseam continuing "to the point of nausea.“ nausea END of ENGLISH I LIST