Common Foreign Words and Phrases

Latin	English
RSVP	stands for "Respondez s'il vous plait" or "please answer"; a reply to an invitation (French)
déjà vu	the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time; literally, "already seen" (French)
du jour	1. as prepared on the particular day; of the kind being served today 2. fashionable; current; literally "of the day" (French)
faux pas	a slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion; literally, "false step" (French)
bon voyage	an organized expression of goodwill at the start of a trip or new venture; literally, "have a pleasant trip" (French)
alma mater	the school from which one graduates; literally "nurturing mother" (Latin)
cum laude	used in diplomas to grant the lowest of three special honors for grades above the average; literally, "with honor" (Latin)
femme fatale	an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or disastrous situations; siren; literally "fatal woman" (French)
esprit de corps	a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group; team spirit (French)
verbatim	in exactly the same words; word for word (Latin)
E pluribus unum	literally, "out of many, one"--motto of the U.S. (Latin)
prima donna	1. a distinguished female operatic singer; a leading female operatic star; a diva 2. a person that's considered vain, temperamental and/or conceited; literally, "first lady" (Italian)
avant-garde	cutting edge; new; experimental; innovative--especially in the arts (French)
status quo	the existing condition or state of affairs (Latin)
joie de vivre	a keen enjoyment of living (French)
carte blanche	unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion; complete freedom (French)
caveat emptor	the principle that the seller of a product cannot be held responsible for its quality unless it is guaranteed in a warranty; literally "let the buyer beware" (Latin)
alpha and omega	the first and last; beginning and end (Greek)
tabula rasa	a mind not yet affected by experiences, impressions, etc; anything existing undisturbed in its original pure state; literally "blank slate" (Latin)
hoi polloi	the common people; the masses (Greek)
ad nauseam	endlessly, to the point of nausea (Latin)
carpe diem	literally "seize the day"; enjoy the day, take the opportunity (Latin)
tempus fugit	literally "time flies" (Latin)
c'est la vie	such is life; literally, "that's life" (French)
bona fide	made or carried out in good faith; genuine; sincere (Latin)
savoir faire	ability to say and do the right thing at the right time; tact; poise; sophistocation (French)
non sequitur	an idea or statement that does not follow logically from evidence (Latin)
id est	that is to say; in other words (Latin)
enfant terrible	a famous or successful person who likes to shock people; a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others; literally "terrible child." (French)
terra firma	firm or solid ground (Latin)
vox populi	the voice of the people; popular opinion or sentiment (Latin)
ad hoc	for a specific purpose or situation; improvised (Latin)
cause célèbre	any incident that attracts great public attention (French)
magnum opus	the greatest work of an artist, writer, or composer; one's masterpiece (Latin)
persona non grata	an unacceptable or unwelcome person (Latin)
quid pro quo	something given in exchange for something else. Literally, "this for that." (Latin)
je ne sais quoi	an indescribable or inexpressible something; literally, "I know not what." (French)
modus operandi	a usual way of doing something (Latin)
nom de plume	pen name; pseudonym (French)
haute couture	high fashion; clothing created by leading designers (French)
mea culpa	an acknowledgment of error or guilt; literally, "my fault." (Latin)