French words and expressions often used in English

French words and expressions often used in English

 ➡ Adieu : (exlam) good-bye

 💡 I bid you adieu.

 ➡ A la carte : (exp) each item priced separately

 💡 Let’s order a la carte and then share.

 ➡ Ambience : (n) mood of surroundings

 💡 I like the ambience in this restaurant.

Apropos : (adj) appropriate ➡

 💡 How apropos that his son give the speech.

 ➡ Attache : (n) diplomat

 💡 He’s the French attache.

 ➡ Avant garde : (adj) ahead of one’s time

 💡 Her style is very avant garde.

 ➡ Blase : (adj) indifferent

 💡 When I asked her to give an opinion about the scandal,she seemed very blase.

 ➡ Bon appetit : (exclam) enjoy your meal

 ➡ Bon vivant :n one who enjoys life to the fullest

 ➡ Bon voyage : (exlam) have a good trip

 ➡ Bourgeois : (adj) middle class

 💡 She’s so bourgeois! she’s so middle class.

 ➡ Boutique : (n) a small specialty shop

 💡 They have lots of gift ideas in this boutique.

 ➡ Bric-a-brac: (n) a collection of small objects with sentimental value

 💡 Did you see all the bric-a-brac she has all over the house?

 ➡ Brouhaha: (n) commotion

 💡 What’s that brouhaha outside?

 ➡ Camaraderie : (n) friendship

 💡 He loves the camaraderie we have with each other.

 ➡ Carte blanche : (n) complete discretionary freedom

 💡 He gave me the carte blanche to redecorate the house the way I wanted.

 ➡ Chateau : (n) castle

 💡 Next week we’re visiting the chateaus of Australia.

 ➡ Collage : (n) an artistic design made of various pieces of material glued to a surface

 💡 I remember making my first collage when I was 8 years old.

 ➡ Concierge : (n) janitor,doorkeeper,hotel manager

 💡 What a beautiful hotel,lets find the concierge.

 ➡ Coup : (n) a sudden stroke of good luck

 💡 That was a real coup.

 ➡ Coup d’etat : (n) violent overthrow or transformation of the government

 💡 There was a coup d’etat yesterday in the Philippines.

 ➡ Creme de la creme : (exp) the cream of the crop,the very best

 💡 This class of students represents the creme de la creme.

 ➡ Cul de sac : (n) street closed at one end

 💡 They live on a cul-de-sac.

 ➡ Debacle : (n) a complete failure or disaster

 💡 The entire project was a debacle.

 ➡ Debut : (n) first appearance

 💡 She made her first singing debut in California.

 ➡ Debutante : (n) one who is making a first appearance

 💡 Although she’s a debutante,she’s one of the best performers in the play

 ➡ Declasse : (adj) said of something lacking in style and class

 💡 Can you believe she’s serving hamburgers to her guests?how declasse .

 ➡ Deja vu : (exp) a psychic feeling of having already seen a particular place or event

 💡 I know I’ve never been here before but I recognize everything,talk about deja vu.

Echelon : (n) hierarchy,rank ➡

 💡 She’s part of the upper echelon.

 ➡ Eclair : (n) an oblong pastry filled with custard

 💡 We had eclairs for dessert at my mother’s house.

 ➡ Elite : (n) aristocracy

 💡 He’s part of the elite.

 ➡ Emigre : (n) immigrant

 💡 She’s a foreign emigre.

 ➡ Ennui : (n) boredom

 💡 I don’t think I can stand another day of ennui.

 ➡ En route : (exp) on the road

 💡 We’ve been en route for an hour now.

 ➡ Ensemble : (n) performing together

 💡 This is one of the best musical ensembles in town.

 ➡ Entree : (n) main course

 💡 What did they serve for the entree?

 ➡ Fait accompli : (exp) said of something which is already under way

 💡 You can’t stop them now. It’s a fait accompli.

 ➡ Faux pas : (exp) social error

 💡 You made a real faux pas when you started talking about his mistress in front of his wife.

 ➡ Finale : (n) end of a performance

 💡 This is the finale.

 ➡ Finesse : (n) diplomacy

 💡 Let her handle the problem,she has a lot of finesse.

 ➡ Gourmand : (n) glutton

 💡 He’s such a gourmand.

 ➡ Gourmet : (n) one who has discriminating taste in the art of fine cooking

 💡 People are nervous about inviting him over for dinner because he’s such a gourmet.

 ➡ Haute couture : (exp) high fashion

 💡 This boutique specilizes in haute couture.

 ➡ Haute cuisine : (exp) fine and elaborate cooking

 💡 Forgive my son for his eating.he’s not used to haute cuisine.

 ➡ Hors d’oeuvre : (exp) appetizer

 💡 Would you care for an hors d’oeuvre.

 ➡ Je ne sais quoi : (exp) undefinable quality in a person

 💡 He has a certain je ne sais quoi. I really like him.

 ➡ Laissez faire : (exp) an attitude of non-involvement

 💡 His attitude is very laissez faire.

 ➡ Maitre d’hotel : (exp) headwaiter

 ➡ Ask the maitre d’hotel for a table by the window.

 ➡ Malaise : (n) uneasiness

 💡 Did you notice the malaise he was experiencing with us last night?

 ➡ Mardi Gras : (exp) a carnival in New Orleans culminating on shrove Tuesday

 ➡ Melange : (n) mixture

 💡 What’s this melange you’re making?

 ➡ Melee : (n) first fight involving many people

 💡 Look at the melee outside.

 ➡ Monsieur : (n) Mr , Sir

 💡 Do you know monsieur Dubois?

 ➡ Nom de plume : (exp) pseudonym for a writer

 💡 What is his nom de plume?

 ➡ Nouveau riche : (exp) newly rich

 💡 This is where all nouveau riche live.

 ➡ Nouvelle cuisine : (exp) refers to the newest from of cooking which consists of little fat

 💡  I love the taste of nouvelle cuisine.

 ➡ Passe : (adj) outdated

 💡 That style of clothing is passe.

 ➡ Piece de resistance : (exp) climax in a presentation

 💡 And now for the piece de resistance.

 ➡ Pied-a-terre : (n) temporary or secondary dwelling

 💡 We have a pied-a-terre in London.

 ➡ Poignant : (adj) powerful and emotionally moving

 💡 This part of the movie is very poignant .

 ➡ Potpourri : (exp) an assortment (rotten pot)

 💡 My sister is now going to perform a potpourri of songs for you.

 ➡ Repondez s’il vous plait : (exp) always seen as R.S.V.P respond if you please

 💡 Note.the initials R.S.V.P are commonly added to the bottom of an invitation where a response is request by the host

 ➡ Salon : (n) elegant business establishment

 💡 Did you see the new hair salon on the corner?

 ➡ Savoir faire : (exp) a keen understanding of proper conduct in a given situation

 💡 He has a great deal of savoir faire.

 ➡ Soupe du jour : (exp) soup of the day

 💡 Execuse me,waiter what is your soupe du jour?

 ➡ Tete-a-tete : (exp) a private meeting between two people

 💡 Alicia and Susan are having a tete-a-tete in conference room.

 ➡ Tour de force : (exp) a demonstration of strength or ability

 💡 Your idea was a real tour de force.

 ➡ Trompe l’oeil : (exp) that which deceives the eyes

 💡 That paiting looks like a photograph.what a trompe l’oeil.

 ➡ Vis –vis : (exp) in relationship to.face to face

 💡 How does this problem compare vis-a-vis our situation of yesterday?

🙂 🙂  🙂  🙂  🙂