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Foreign Expressions
Foreign expressions used in English
50
General Vocab
Graduate
01/01/2009
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Term
sui generis
 Definition
one of a kind, unique
Term
arriviste
 Definition
social climber
Term
beau geste
 Definition
a fine gesture
Term
bel esprit
 Definition
wit elegance
Term
beau monde
 Definition
fashionable society
Term
bete noir
 Definition
annoyance, bugbear
Term
bon mot
 Definition
witticism
Term
casus belli
 Definition
justification for an act of war
Term
caveat emptor
 Definition
let the buyer beware
Term
cherchez la femme
 Definition
look for the woman
Term
comme il faut
 Definition
as it should be
Term
cordon blue
 Definition
high quality
Term
compos mentis
 Definition
of sound mind, sane
Term
corpus delicti
 Definition
evidence of a crime
Term
cui bono?
 Definition
to whose benefit
Term
declasse
 Definition
fallen in social standing
Term
demi-monde
 Definition
prostitutes, behemians
Term
de profundis
 Definition
out of the depths
Term
de trop
 Definition
too much, superfluous
Term
deus ex machina
 Definition
unexpected or improbable explanation
Term
dolce vita
 Definition
the sweet life
Term
dramatis personae
 Definition
characters in a play
Term
eminence grise
 Definition
power behind the throne
Term
entre nous
 Definition
confidentially
Term
ex officio
 Definition
by right of office
Term
ex post facto
 Definition
retroactive
Term
folie a deux
 Definition
delusion shared by two people
Term
genius loci
 Definition
spirit of the place
Term
hora inglesa
 Definition
punctuality
Term
hors de combat
 Definition
out of the fight, disabled
Term
idee fixe
 Definition
obsession
Term
in extremis
 Definition
near death
Term
in loco parentis
 Definition
in place of a parent
Term
inter alia
 Definition
among other things
Term
in vino veritas
 Definition
there is truth in wine
Term
ipso facto
 Definition
by definition
Term
kismet
 Definition
fate, destiny
Term
leitmotif
 Definition
recurring theme
Term
lese-majeste
 Definition
high treason
Term
lumpenproletariat
 Definition
the underclass of society
Term
ma non troppo
 Definition
but not too much
Term
memento mori
 Definition
reminder of death
Term
meshugge
 Definition
crazy, weird, silly
Term
modus vivendi
 Definition
way of living
Term
mot juste
 Definition
the right word
Term
mutatis mutandis
 Definition
with the necessary adjustments made
Term
ne plus ultra
 Definition
the best
Term
objet trouve (vay)
 Definition
found object
Term
outre (trey)
 Definition
exaggerated, excessive
Term
piece de resistance
 Definition
showpiece
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