User Comments

1. 

   9/15/08

   SweetViolet

   tout de suite (pronounced "toot sweet") French--right now, immediately
   
   visage (pronounce "vih-zhaj") French--face
   
   vice versa- Latin--The other way around
   
   Voila (pronounced "vwa-lah") Here it is (used as an exclamation)

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   1. 

      9/15/08

      Onchong

      Many thanks Ms SweetViolet. Is the word "va" a French word, too? I heard it several times in the grand opera, La Fille du Regiment. What does it mean?
2. 

   9/15/08

   calais50

   a la carte-purchased individually (french)
   
   vis-a-vis: side by side (french)
   
   faux pas (french)
   a la mode (french)
   parasol-(spanish)

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   1. 

      9/15/08

      Onchong

      Many thanks Ms Calais50. A la carte is a menu phrase, right? To be honest with you, I don't know what "chicken a la carte" is.
      
      I play a piano solo, Naila Ballet, and there is a sub-title, Pas de deux. What does it mean?
   2. 

      9/15/08

      calais50

      pas de deux-step for 2. I think it means 2 people dance it.
      
      I've heard of a recipe chicken a la king, but not chicken a la carte. yes, it's a menu phrase.
3. 

   9/15/08

   Katuluu

   deus ex machina
   
   God from the machine. (Latin)
   
   Commonly used literary device in which an improbably or impossible event occurs to resolve a storyline.

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4. 

   9/15/08

   gander1272

   Here is a few off the top of my head
   
   Kindergarten- children's garden (german)
   faux pas- social blunder (french)
   mano a mano- hand to hand (spanish)
   pro bono- done w/o charge (latin)
   savoir faire- ability to sat the right thing (french)
   verboten- forbidden (german)
   alma mater- school graduated from (latin)
   amateur- not professional (french)
   czar- leader (russian)
   Eureka- Found it (greek)
   graffiti- wall lettering (italian)
   jihad- holy war (Arabic)
   Karate, Jujitzu,

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   1. 

      9/15/08

      Onchong

      I sincerely appreciate the list. Took note of all the words and phrases.
   2. 

      9/16/08

      SweetViolet

      Faux pas literally means "false step"
      
      Also, when someone calls something "faux" (pronounced "fo") it means fake...like faux fur or faux pearls
      
      Status quo--Latin--the way things are now
      
      tete a tete (tayt-ah-tay)--French-- Head-to-head. Used to mean having a private conversation
5. 

   9/15/08

   Katuluu

   e.g. = exempli gratia (Latin)
   
   means for example or such as

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   1. 

      9/15/08

      Onchong

      Many thanks! I always meet this abbreviation in business writing.
6. 

   9/15/08

   faithsju243

   So bad but the first thing that coms to mind is:
   menage a trois...three some
   French
   
   but on second thought
   au contraire = on the contrary
   French
   &
   avanta garde = radically innovative
   French

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7. 

   9/15/08

   Onchong

   There is one Urdu word that I always use in the office, and it is Sukriya, which means "thank you."

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8. 

   9/16/08

   annaswan

   Oui Oui - French, yes, yes - usually said humorously
   Moi? - French, me - made famous by Miss Piggy (also humorously)
   
   You guys will have to help me with the spelling on this one - what does Speedy Gonzales (Looney Tunes mouse)say?
   
   Something like - Undalay, undalay... what? Areeba? Obvioulsy my Spanish needs serious help.

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9. 

   9/16/08

   jafabrit

   Here is a great list of borrowed words:
   www.feedback.nildram.co.uk/richardebbs/essays/loanword.htm
   
   Off the top of my head kiosk from Turkey
   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiosk
   
   and detour I believe from french, as is picnic.

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10. 

    9/16/08

    blogonsmog

    ambi gauche two left feet French
    post du jour lol post of the day lots of laughs (internet/french)

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11. 

    9/16/08

    clioandme

    Gesundheit
    Weltschmerz
    Schadenfreude
    Zeitgeist
    Realpolitik

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