1. Commonly Used Foreign Words and Phrases

2. RSVP Used on an invitation to indicate that the favor of a reply is requested Don’t forget to RSVP before Thursday. from the French phrase “repondez s’il vous plait”

3. déjà vu The illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time; disagreeable familiarity or sameness This season of CSI had a sense of déjà vu about it—the same old plots and characters with new names.

4. faux pas A slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion He committed a social faux pas when he asked her when her baby was due, since she wasn’t pregnant.

5. du jour As prepared on the particular day; of the kind being served today: du = of, jour = day The soup du jour is split pea.

6. bon voyage To have a pleasant trip. Bon voyage, mom!

7. alma mater a school, college, or university at which one has studied and, usually, from which one has graduated I went a football game at my alma mater, MTSU. Latin

8. cum laude An academic honor given at graduation (Magna cum laude: with high honors) (Summa cum laude: the highest academic distinction) She graduated magna cum laude from MTSU. Latin

9. femme fatale An irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or disastrous situations; a siren Angelina Jolie is a true femme fatale.

10. esprit de corps a sense of unity and of common interests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, or enterprise, etc. Participation in community service improves the group’s esprit de corps.

11. verbatim in exactly the same words; word for word This is a verbatim recording of the proceedings. Latin

12. E pluribus unum out of many, one E pluribus unum was adopted as the national motto for the United States in 1776. Latin

13. prima donna a first or principal female singer of an opera company; a temperamental person; a person who takes adulation and privileged treatment as a right and reacts with petulance to criticism or inconvenience Valerie is the prima donna of our school’s senior play this year. Italian

14. avant-garde the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods She is very avant-garde in her fashion sense.

15. status quo the existing state or condition People with money are often satisfied with the status quo.

16. joie de vivre a delight in being alive; keen, carefree enjoyment of living She displays a true joie de vivre.

17. carte blanche Unconditional authority; full discretionary power He exercises his carte blanche frequently.

18. caveat emptor Let the buyer beware: the principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality unless it is guaranteed in a warranty On the web, the advice “caveat emptor” has never been more true.

19. alphaalpha and omegaomega the beginning and the end of something; the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet In her opinion, shopping is the alpha and the omega. Greek

20. tabula rasa a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc…, anything existing undisturbed in its original, pure state John Locke believed that a child’s mind was a tabula rasa. Latin

21. hoi polloi the common people; the masses; (often preceded by the) The hoi polloi think that Mr. Nolan is the best principal in the county. Greek

22. ad nauseam to a sickening or disgusting degree We have heard about the housing crisis ad nauseam. Latin

23. carpe diem Seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future It’s a beautiful day, Carpe diem! Latin

24. tempus fugit Time flies Tempus fugit when you’re having fun. Latin

25. To express a philosophical acceptance of the way things are: “That’s Life” Suzanne’s response to her job loss was, “C’est la vie.” c’ est la vie

26. bona fide made, done, presented, in good faith; without deception or fraud; authentic; true The museum has a bona fide sample of Lincoln’s handwriting. Latin

27. savoir faire Having the knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact At the fancy restaurant, Chip realized that he lacked the savior-faire to use all of the silverware correctly.

28. non sequitur an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises; a statement containing an illogical conclusion We had been discussing plumbing, so her remark about astrology was a real non sequitur. Latin

29. id est that is to say; in other words I’m going to the place where I work best, i.e., the coffee shop. Latin

30. enfant terrible An incorrigible child, as one whose behavior is embarrassing An outrageously outspoken or bold person who says and does indiscreet or irresponsible things The spoiled child was enfant terrible.

31. terra firma Firm or solid earth or dry land (as opposed to water or air) After our stormy voyage, we were relieved to set foot on terra firma. Latin

32. vox populi the voice of the people; popular opinion The speaker’s address received hardly a whisper from the vox populi. Latin

33. ad hoc concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end After a tornado swept through the school, an ad hoc group of parents was formed to assist in the repairs. Latin

34. cause celebre Any controversy that attracts public attention The booster’s fund raising techniques was a cause celebre this summer.

35. magnum opus a great work Beowulf was someone’s magnum opus. Latin

36. persona non grata an unwelcome or unacceptable person He has become persona non grata in our club. Latin

37. quid pro quo One thing in return for another The Chinese may make some concessions on trade, but they will no doubt demand a quid pro quo, so we must also be prepared to make concessions. Latin

38. je ne sais quoi an indefinable quality that makes somebody or something more attractive or interesting She has a certain je ne sais quoi that charms everyone.

39. modus operandi a method or way of doing of something Her modus operandi in buying a new car always included a month of research. Latin

40. nom de plume a naming word; a word or group of words used as the name of a class or people, places, or things, or of a specific person, place, or thing Samuel Clemens noun de plume is Mark Twain.

41. haute couture top fashion; exclusive and expensive clothing made for an individual customer by a fashion designer, or the industry that produces such clothing The I-Phone is a “must have” to techies everywhere – hot technology meets haute couture.

42. mea culpa expressing guilt or fault; used to express an admission of your own guilt I gave you the wrong directions to my house – mea culpa. Latin

43. raison d’etre the reason for being; underlying principle The entire school knew that Coach Davis’ students were his raison d'être.

44. laissez faire principle of no regulation of industry; principle that the economy works best if private industry is not regulated and markets are free People who support a laissez faire system are against minimum wages, duties, and any other trade restrictions.

45. bete noire somebody or something that is particularly disliked Speed traps have always been bête noire of all drivers.

46. en masse in a group; as a body The senior class of 2012 cheered en masse at the pep rally.

47. in absentia while absent; in the absence of the person or persons concerned The man was tried and convicted in absentia. Latin

48. sub rosa Confidentially; secretly; privately The meeting was held sub rosa, due to the sensitive nature of its content. Latin

49. schadenfreude gloating at somebody else’s bad luck; smug or malicious pleasure taken in somebody else’s misfortune To feel envy is human, to savor schadenfreude is devilish. German

50. noblesse oblige notion of aristocratic responsibilities; the idea that people born into the nobility or upper social classes must behave in an honorable and generous way toward those less privileged The Queen’s sense of noblisse oblige was evident in her time spent at the shelter.

51. sine qua non an essential condition or prerequisite English III is sine qua non before taking English IV. Latin

52. deus ex machina god who resolves plot; in ancient Greek and Roman theater, a god introduced to resolve a complicated plot Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel’s thorny crisis. Latin

53. doppelganger double or mirror image Doppelganger experiences have led many people to believe that they were part of a set of twins that had been separated at birth. Greek

54. coup d’etat seizure of political power; the sudden violent overthrow of a government and seizure of political power, especially by the military The students in Egypt created a coup d’etat via social networks in order for their voice to be heard.