French Words and Expressions in English

Quiz

fait accompli   "done deed"
   Fait accompli seems more fatalistic to me than done deed, which is so factual.

faux   "false, fake"
   I once saw an ad for "genuine faux pearls." No worries that those pearls might be real, I guess - you were guaranteed fake ones. :-)

faux pas   "false step, trip"
   Something that should not be done, a foolish mistake. 

femme fatale   "deadly woman"
   An alluring, mysterious woman who seduces men into compromising situations

fiancé, fiancée   "engaged person, betrothed"
   Note that fiancé refers to a man and fiancée to a woman.

film noir   "black movie"
   Black is a literal reference to the stark black-and-white cinematography style, though films noirs tend to be figuratively dark as well (e.g., morbid, bleak, depressing, etc).

fin de siècle   "end of the century"
   Hyphenated in English, fin-de-siècle refers to the end of the 19th century.

fleur-de-lis, fleur-de-lys   "flower of lily"
   A type of iris or an emblem in the shape of an iris with three petals.

fleur de sel   "flower of salt"
   Very fine and expensive salt

foie gras   "fat liver"
   The liver of a force-fed goose, considered a delicacy

folie à deux   "craziness for two"
   Mental disorder which occurs simultaneously in two people with a close relationship or association.

force majeure   "great force"
   An unexpected or uncontrollable event, like a tornado or war, that prevents a contract from being fulfilled.


gamine   "playful, little girl"
   Refers to an impish or playful girl/woman.

garçon   "boy"
   Once upon a time, it was acceptable to call a French waiter garçon, but those days are long gone.

gauche   "left, awkward"
   Tactless, lacking social grace

genre   "type"
   Used mostly in art and film - "I really like this genre..."

giclée   "squirt, spray"
   In French, giclée is a general term for a small amount of liquid; in English, it refers to a particular type of inkjet print and the accent is usually dropped: giclee

grand mal   "great illness"
   Severe epilepsy. Also see petit mal


haute couture   "high sewing"
   High-class, fancy (and expensive) clothing styles

haute cuisine   "high cuisine"
   High-class, fancy (and expensive) cooking or food

Honi soit qui mal y pense
   Shame on anyone who thinks evil of it

hors de combat   "out of combat"
   Out of action

hors d'œuvre   "outside of work"
   An appetizer. Œuvre here refers to the main work (course), so hors d'œuvre simply means something besides the main course.


idée fixe   "set idea"
   Fixation, obsession


je ne sais quoi   "I don't know what"
   Used to indicate a "certain something," as in "I really like Ann. She has a certain je ne sais quoi that I find very appealing."

joie de vivre   "joy of living"
   The quality in people who live life to the fullest


laissez-faire   "let it be"
   A policy of non-interference. Note the expression in French is laisser-faire.


maître d', maître d'hôtel   "master of, master of hotel"
   The former is more common in English, which is strange since it is incomplete: "The 'master of' will show you to your table."

mal de mer   "sickness of sea"
   Seasickness

mardi gras   "fat Tuesday"
   Celebration before Lent

matinée   "morning"
   In English, indicates the day's first showing of a movie or play. Can also refer to a midday romp with one's lover.

ménage à trois   "household of three"
   Sexual threesome

mot juste   "right word"
   Exactly the right word or expression.


née   "born"
   Used in genealogy to refer to a woman's maiden name: Anne Miller née (or nee) Smith.

noblesse oblige   "obligated nobility"
   The idea that those who are noble are obliged to act noble.

nom de guerre   "war name"
   Pseudonym

nom de plume   "pen name"
   This French phrase was coined by English speakers in imitation of nom de guerre.

nouveau riche   "new rich"
   Disparaging term for someone who has recently come into money.

nouvelle cuisine   "new cuisine"
   Cooking style developed in the 1960's and 70's that emphasized lightness and freshness.


objet d'art   "art object"
   Note that the French word objet does not have a c - you should never write "object d'art.

oh là là   "oh dear"
   Usually misspelled and mispronounced "ooh la la" in English.

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