Foreign Phrases You Should Know when Hosting a Party

You don’t have to leave home to encounter foreign words and phrases. In fact, your next-door neighbor might wave and shout “Ciao!” as he roars off in his convertible; perhaps the characters in the novel of manners you’re reading are obsessed with appearing comme il faut; or a friend may welcome you by saying, “mi casa es su casa.” These people are all native English speakers, they’re simply using words from another tongue to express certain thoughts more colorfully or succinctly than it’s possible to do in English. Here are some words and phrases you’re likely to encounter—learn these now to avoid faux pas later!

1. Bildungsroman (German). A coming-of-age novel. Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, is one example, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is another.

2. Bon mot (French). Literally, bon means “good” and mot means “word.” Together the phrase means “a witty remark.” You wouldn’t ask someone to put in a bon mot for you with your boss, but you might congratulate your boss on her bon mot at the last staff meeting—thereby putting in a good word for yourself!

3. Comme il faut (French). In keeping with the proper way of doing things. Telling your hostess that dinner was terrible is not comme il faut.

4. Dernier cri (French). The latest thing; an up-to-the-minute trend or fashion.

5. De trop (French). Too much—way too much—of something.

6. Fait accompli (French). Literally, “accomplished fact.” A fait accompli is something already done and finished, so there’s no use objecting or trying to change it.

7. Faux pas (French). A social error. Wearing blue jeans to a black-tie event is definitely a faux pas.

8. Je ne sais quoi (French). Literally, “I don’t know what.” It refers to that “certain something,” a quality that’s hard to define.

9. Mi casa es su casa (Spanish). “My house is your house,” meaning “make yourself at home.”

10. Pied-a-terre (French). An apartment, usually in the city, which is kept for occasional use.

11. Plus ça change (French). These words are understood as shorthand for the complete phrase that ends with “plus c’est la même chose.” “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

12. Q.E.D. (Latin). Q.E.D. is short for quod erat demonstrandum, meaning “which was to be shown.” You’ll occasionally encounter Q.E.D. in speech and writing as a not-so-subtle way of letting readers or listeners know that the person making the argument believes he has proven his point.

13. Quid pro quo (Latin). Literally, “something for something.” An equal exchange, tit for tat. “The union finally agreed to a pay cut, but its leaders insisted on quid pro quo, so the company added dental insurance to the benefit package.”

14. Raison d’être (French). Literally, “reason for being.” Protecting animals is the raison d’être of the Humane Society of America.

15. Roman a clef (French). A fictionalized account of actual events and real people; Primary Colors, the best-selling novel about Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, is a contemporary roman a clef.

16. Savoir faire (French). Literally “to know how to do.” If you have savoir faire, your manners are polished; you’re unlikely to do or say anything that isn’t comme il faut. “Even more than his good looks and charm, it was Cary Grant’s savoir faire that made him an irresistible leading man.”

17. Sine qua non (Latin). An essential element of something. A trimmed tree is the sine qua non of Christmas.

18. Tête-a-tête (French). Literally, “head to head.” A private conversation between two people.

19. Vox populi (Latin) “The voice of the people.” The term refers to the prevailing sentiment or popular opinion. “During President Clinton’s impeachment trial, the vox populi seemed to indicate that he should not be removed from office.”

20. Weltanschauung (German). A philosophy of life, a way of viewing of the world, as in, “His weltanschauung doesn’t allow for happy endings.”

21. Weltschmerz (German). A romantic sadness or pessimism; weariness with the world. “His weltanschauung has given him Weltschmerz.”

22. Zeitgeist (German). Literally, the spirit of the time. The outlook and taste characteristic of a time or generation; “Will future historians name greed and selfishness as the zeitgeist of the baby boom generation?”