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VOCABULARY>>
Vocabulary Development
Say Quoi?
KNOW (10) MORE WORDS
By Jennifer Dignan
Let’s say you’re waiting in line for tickets to the latest blockbuster at your local multiplex. The people
behind you are speaking a language you don’t understand. To your ears, their conversation sounds like
this: “Blahblah blah, blah blah T-SHIRT blah.” What’s “T-shirt” doing in there? Certain English words and
phrases have found their way into other languages; likewise, certain foreign words and phrases have
found their way into English. Here are 10 of them you should know to keep your vocabulary au courant.
aficionado (uh-FISH-ya-NAHdoh) noun an enthusiastic
admirer or follower; a fan
Language: Spanish: past
participle of aficionar (to
induce a liking for)
Example Sentence: Until she
saw his CD collection, Mary
had no idea that Henry was a
country music aficionado.
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bon mots (bon MOE) noun witty or clever remarks
Language: French: bon (good) + mot (word)
Example Sentence: People gathered around Aaron at
the party, hoping to catch one of his famous bon mots.
coup de grâce (koo de GRAHSS) noun 1. a deathblow
delivered to end the suffering of a mortally wounded
victim 2. a finishing stroke or decisive event
Language: French: coup (stroke) + de (of) + grâce
(mercy)
Example Sentence: Jim wasn’t hurt in the accident,
but it was the coup de grâce for his rusty old
station wagon.
de rigueur (duh ree-GUR) adjective required by etiquette, fashion, or custom; socially obligatory
Language: French: de (of) + rigueur (rigor, strictness)
Example Sentence: At my school, cell phones are de
rigueur. Nevertheless, I do not own one.
26 FEBRUARY 2005 Literary Cavalcade
doppelgänger (DOP-pul-gang-ur) noun a spiritual or
ghostly double of a living person that haunts its
counterpart
Language: German: (a double)
Example Sentence: Andrea felt the unsettling presence
of a doppelgänger shadowing her every move.
faux pas (FOH pah) noun a social blunder
Language: French: faux (false) + pas (step)
Example Sentence: Obviously, asking Denise about
her job was a faux pas. But how was I supposed to
know she’d been fired?
je ne sais quoi (juh neh say
KWAH) noun an elusive quality,
something that is difficult to
express or describe
Language: French: je (I) + ne
(not) + sais, first person present of savoir (to know) + quoi
(what)
Example Sentence: It’s true that
Phil has bad breath, greasy hair, and a
terrible sense of humor, but there’s some je ne sais
quoi about him that I simply adore!
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savoir faire (SAV-wahr FAIR) noun the ability to say or
do the right or graceful thing
Language: French: savoir (to know) + faire (to do)
Example Sentence: It was a potentially awkward situa-
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tion, but Carolyn, with impressive savoir faire, made
everyone feel comfortable.
schadenfreude (shah-den-FROY-deh)
noun delight in the misfortune of
others
Language: German: Schaden (damage) + Freude (joy); often capitalized
as it is in German
Example Sentence: Raphael knew better than to expect sympathy from his
siblings, but he was not prepared for the schadenfreude with which they greeted his misery.
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sotto voce (suh-TOW VOH-chay) adjective &
adverb 1. in soft tones so as not to be overheard 2. a musical direction meaning “in very
soft tones”
Language: Italian: sotto (under) + voce (voice)
Example Sentence: “Check out that guy over
by the water fountain,” Joe said, sotto voce,
“There’s no way that’s his real hair.”
SKILL DRILL
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH ONE OF YOUR NEWLY ACQUIRED
VOCABULARY WORDS.
aficionado bon mots coup de grâce
faux pas je ne sais quoi savoir faire
de rigueur doppelgänger
schadenfreude sotto voce
1. Gazing thoughtfully at the painting my 3-year-old sister had made, Lawrence said,
“There is something __________ about this that really speaks to me.”
2. Unaware that bringing a gift was __________, Sheila committed the __________ of showing up at the party empty-handed.
3. “Ms. Carson said she saw you at Patsy’s Pizza last night,” said Paul’s mother, narrowing her eyes. “It must have been my __________,” Paul responded. “I was at the library,
just like I told you.”
4. It was hard to keep myself from giggling at the __________ Beth uttered __________
throughout the professor’s boring lecture.
5. You should ask Toby your Adam Ant question. He’s quite an ’80s music __________.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY TERRY COLON
6. I know it was mean to kick Jason out of the play, but truly, it was a __________. He has
horrible stage fright and was miserable performing.
7. _________ swept through the audience when yet another pop star was caught lipsynching during a “live” performance. People howled with laughter as she fled
the stage.
8. I didn’t know what to do, so I called Sharon for advice. With her usual __________,
she figured out a way I could turn down Bill’s invitation but not hurt his feelings.
Literary Cavalcade FEBRUARY 2005
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