Foreign wordspowerpoint

Commonly Used
Foreign Words and Phrases
•Word Definitions
•Example of Use
•Parts of Speech
•Word Origins

Why should we study foreign words?
Foreign words are what created our present
day English language. In order to better
understand our spoken and written
language we need to understand some
foreign words and phrases. These
foreign words and phrases help us to
better understand our English language,
express ourselves more
clearly, and comprehend
the meaning behind some

Directions for Use
• To use this power point, click on the word you are
studying from the table of contents . That will take
you to the slide with the pronunciation of the word,
the definition of the word, the origin of the word, the
part of speech to which the word belongs, and an
example of the word used in a sentence.
• To hear the word pronounced, click on the word in
blue at the top of the slide. A pronunciation window
will pop up and the word should be pronounced. If
this does not happen, just
click on the link in the window that says,
“to hear
the word again.” The word should be

Table of Contents-1
9 th Grade (these words are included in 10 th , 11 th , & 12 th grades
as well)

RSVP alma mater status quo
déjà vu cum laude joie de vivre
faux pas femme fatale carte blanche
du jour esprit de corps caveat emptor
bon voyage verbatim
alpha and omega
E pluribus unum tabula rasa
prima donna hoi polloi

Table of Contents-2
10 th Grade (11 th & 12 th also) 11 th Grade (12 th also) 12 th
Grade
Carpe diem enfant terrible ad hoc raison d’etre
tempus fugit terra firma cause celebre laissez faire
C’est la vie vox populi magnum opus
bete noire
bona fide persona non grata en masse
savoir faire quid pro quo in absentia
non sequitur je ne sais quoi sub rosa
Id est modus operandi schadenfreude
nom de plume noblesse oblige
haute couture sine qua non
mea culpa
deus ex machina
doppelganger

RSVP
• Used on an invitation to indicate that the favor of
a reply is requested
• Part of Speech - Verb (used without object) – to
reply to an invitation: Don’t forget to RSVP
before Thursday.
or
– Noun (a reply to an invitation) – He sent a
lovely bouquet of flowers with his RSVP.
• Word Origin - from the French phrase
“repondez s’il vous plait”

déjà vu
• Psychology; the illusion of having previously
experienced something actually being
encountered for the first time; disagreeable
familiarity or sameness
• The new television season had a sense of déjà
vu about it—the same old plots and characters
with new names.
• Part of Speech - Noun
• Word Origin - French

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 called
her Mrs. Instead of Miss.
• Part of Speech – Noun

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.

bon voyage
• Have a pleasant trip!
• Bon voyage, mom!
• Part of Speech – Interjection

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, UTK.
• Word Origin - Latin

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 Georgia
Tech.
• Part of Speech – Adverb

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.

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.

verbatim
• in exactly the same words; word for word
“to repeat something verbatim” – Adverb
corresponding word for word to the original - Adjective
• James mother told him to tell the principal about the
argument he had with his teacher. Adv.
• This is a verbatim recording of the proceedings. Adj.
• Part of Speech – Adjective or adverb

E pluribus unum
• out of many, one
(motto of the United States)
• E pluribus unum was adopted as the
national motto for the United States in
1776.
• Part of Speech – Phrase

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.
• Word Origin - Italian

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
• Apple computers are the avant-garde in
technology. Noun
She is very avant-garde in her fashion sense. Adj.
• Parts of Speech – Noun or adjective

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

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

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

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 apt.

alpha and omega
• the beginning and the end of something
(Revelation 1:8); the first and last letter
of the Greek alphabet
• God is the alpha and the omega.
• Word Origin - Greek

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.

hoi polloi
• the common people; the masses; (often
preceded by the )
• The hoi polloi think that Fitzgerald is a
great screen director.

ad nauseam
• to a sickening or disgusting
degree
• We have heard about all the
budget cuts ad nauseam.

carpe diem
• Seize the day; enjoy the present, as
opposed to placing all hope in the future
• It’s a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow’s
tests; Carpe diem!

tempus fugit
• Time flies
• Tempus fugit when you’re having
fun.
• Part of Speech – phrase

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

bona fide
• made, done, presented, etc…, in good
faith; Without deception or fraud;
Authentic; True
• The museum has a bona fide sample of
Lincoln’s handwriting.
• Part of Speech – Adjective

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

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.
• Word Origin – Latin

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

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
A person whose work, thought, or lifestyle is so
unconventional or avant-garde as to appear
revolutionary or shocking
• The spoiled child was enfant terrible.

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.

vox populi
• the voice of the people; popular opinion
• The speaker’s address got barely a
whisper from the vox populi.

ad hoc
• For the present purpose or end presently under
consideration – adverb
concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose,
or end – adjective
• After a tornado swept through the school, an ad hoc
group of parents was formed to assist in the repairs.
• Part of Speech – Adverb or Adjective

cause celebre
• Any controversy that attracts public
attention
• The question of the draft was a cause
célèbre in the 1960s.

magnum opus
• a great work
• Moby Dick was Melville's magnum
opus.

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

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 be prepared to
make concessions too.

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 everybody.

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

noun 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.

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 new I-Phone is a god send to techies
everywhere – hot technology meets haute
couture.

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.
• Part of Speech – Interjection

raison d’etre
• the reason for being; underlying
principle
• Professor Naylor argues that in the
nuclear age, infantry forces have lost
their raison d'être.

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.

bete noire
• somebody or something that is
particularly disliked
• Tax shelters have long been the bête noire
of reformers.

en masse
• in a group; as a body
• The protesters marched en masse to the
capitol.

in absentia
• while absent; in the absence of the
person or persons concerned
• The man was tried and convicted in
absentia.
• Part of Speech - Adverb

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

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.
• Word Origin - German

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
• In the Robinson family’s circles, public service had
long been common; it connoted not personal ambition
so much as noblisse oblige.

sine qua non
• an essential condition or prerequisite
• Her presence was the sine qua non of
every social event.

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.
• Word Origin – New Latin

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.

coup d’etat
• seizure of political power; the sudden violent
overthrow of a government and seizure of
political power, especially by the military
• The SPD once swore to defend the Republic
against any coup d’etat from the right or the
left.

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