| Term | Definition |
|---|
| RSVP | Respondez s'il vous plait; means: Please answer |
| déjà vu | the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time |
| faux pas | a slip in manners or conduct; a social blunder |
| du jour | literally "of the day"; something trendy or a temporary item on a menu (soup du jour) |
| bon voyage | an organized expression of goodwill at the start of a trip or new venture |
| alma mater | literally "nurturing mother"; the school from which one graduates |
| cum laude | with honors |
| femme fatale | literally "fatal woman"; an attractive woman who leads mean into difficult or doomed situations |
| esprit de corps | a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group; team spirit |
| verbatim | word for word; exactly as written or spoken |
| E pluribus unum | national motto of the USA; "out of many, one" |
| prima donna | principal female singer in an opera; high strung, vain, or extremely sensitive person |
| avant garde | cutting edge; new; experimental; innovative--especially in the arts |
| status quo | the existing condition or state of affairs |
| joie de vivre | a keen enjoyment of living |
| carte blanche | unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion; complete freedom |
| caveat emptor | literally "let the buyer beware"; buy at your own risk |
| alpha and omega | the first and last; beginning and end |
| tabula rasa | literally "blank slate"; something new, fresh, unmarked or uninfluenced |
| hoi polloi | the common people; the masses |
| ad nauseam | endlessly, to the point of nausea |
| carpe diem | literally "seize the day"; enjoy the day, take the opportunity |
| tempus fugit | literally "time flies" |
| c'est la vie | literally "that's life"; such is life |
| bona fide | made or carried out in good faith; genuine; sincere |
| savoir faire | ability to say and do the right thing at the right time; tact; poise; sophistocation |
| non sequitur | an idea or statement that does not follow logically from evidence. |
| id est | that is to say; in other words |
| enfant terrible | literally "terrible child"; a famous or successful person who likes to shock people; a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others |
| terra firma | firm or solid ground |
| vox populi | the voice of the people; popular opinion or sentiment |
| quid pro quo | literally "this for that"; something given in exchange or return for something else |
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