The Avant-Garde Prima Donna is a name I gave to a collection of foreign words and phrases that are commonly used in the English language. Many are so common they have entered the vernacular but most don’t know the sources or original meanings. So I compiled this list as I found them in my reading, listening or wherever I chanced to come across them. It’s an incomplete list but still quite large. Many dictionaries have appendices that feature a healthy selection of commonly used foreign words and phrases. I intended to package a book with clever illustrations, which is why I came up with the title, but it never materialized because I couldn’t find the right publisher for it. Oh well. Note: Language of origin is provided. L stands for Latin, F stands for French and I stands for Italian. The other source languages are spelled out And yes, they are provided here in alphabetical order for ease of use. It’s a pretty long list and many entries are rather obscure. Enjoy!
The Avant-Garde Prima Donna
A List of Commonly Used Foreign Words and Phrases
WORD/PHRASE: ab absurdo
MEANING: from absurdity, an argument that is obviously absurd
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a bas
MEANING: down, down with
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: abattoir
MEANING: slaughterhouse
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a beau jeu, beau retour
MEANING: one good turn deserves another; tit for tat
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: abatvoix
MEANING: to throw down the voice, a canopy or sounding board over a rostrum
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: abbozzo
MEANING: sketch, rough sketch, outline, first draft
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: abogado
MEANING: lawyer, advocate
ORIGIN: S
WORD/PHRASE: ab extra
MEANING: from without
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ab inito
MEANING: from the beginning
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ab imo pectore
MEANING: from the bottom of the heart
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ab intra
MEANING: from within
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a bon marché
MEANING: cheap, a good bargain
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a bras ouverts
MEANING: with open arms
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: absque hoc
MEANING: without this or that, a legal term used when asserting what has already been asserted
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: acajou
MEANING: cashew tree, cashew, mahogany
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a cappella
MEANING: chapel style, singing without accompaniment
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: acctionnaire
MEANING: shareholder in a company
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: á cheval
MEANING: on horseback
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ach du lieber
MEANING: oh my dear, oh my God
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: acme
MEANING: apex, highest point, crisis
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: a coup sûr
MEANING: of a certainty, without fail
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a cruce salus
MEANING: salvation by the cross
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: A.D.
MEANING: anno Domini, in the year of the Lord
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad arbitrium
MEANING: at will
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad astra per aspera
MEANING: to the stars through difficulties
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad captandum vulgus
MEANING: to catch the crowd’s favor, to please the audience
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a dessein
MEANING: on purpose, intentionally
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a deux
MEANING: for two
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: adeste fideles
MEANING: come ye faithful
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad extremum
MEANING: to the last, or extremity
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad finem
MEANING: to the end, at or near the end
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad hoc
MEANING: to this, for this case only
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: adieu
MEANING: to God, farewell
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: adios
MEANING: to God, farewell
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: ad infinitum
MEANING: to infinity, without end
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad interim
MEANING: for now, in the meantime
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad instar
MEANING: in the fashion of
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad libitum
MEANING: at pleasure, to improvise
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ad litteram
MEANING: to the letter, literally, exactly
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: adlocum
MEANING: at the place or to the place
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: adobe
MEANING: dried brick, a housing material consisting of sun-dried clay brick
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: ad referendum
MEANING: for further consideration
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: á droite
MEANING: to the right
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ad vivum
MEANING: to the life, portrayed in a lifelike manner
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: affair d’amour
MEANING: a love affair
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: affreux
MEANING: frightful, shocking
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a.m., ante meridiem
MEANING: before noon
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: advocatus diaboli
MEANING: devil’s advocate
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: aegis
MEANING: shield or breastplate
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: affair d’honneur
MEANING: affair of honor, duel
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: affaire de coeur
MEANING: affair of heart, love affair
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: affidavit
MEANING: he has made an oath, a sworn statement made in writing
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: aficionado
MEANING: devotee, expert or buff
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: a fleur d’eau
MEANING: on a level with the water
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a fortiori
MEANING: with stronger reason
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: agape
MEANING: altruistic love, charity
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: a gauche
MEANING: to the left
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: agitpop
MEANING: agitation + pop, a British term for pop music with expresses a political message, from Russian agitatsiya, agitation- a type of propaganda created in 1902.
ORIGIN: British
WORD/PHRASE: agnus dei
MEANING: lamb of God
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a gogo
MEANING: galore, in plenty
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: á grandis frais
MEANING: at great expense
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a haute voix
MEANING: aloud
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Ahimsa
MEANING: nonviolence
ORIGIN: Hindi
WORD/PHRASE: aide de camp
MEANING: confidential attendant, a military officer serving as an assistant to a senior officer
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aiglet
MEANING: a small point, an ornamental device on the end of a lace/cord/braid
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aigret
MEANING: a tufted heron, an ornamental tuft on the peak of a headdress
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aiguillette
MEANING: a gilt cord hung in loops from the shoulder of some military uniforms
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aileron
MEANING: a moveable hinged section of the wing of an airplane
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: air a boire
MEANING: a French drinking song
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: à la
MEANING: to the; as; in the manner or style of
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: à la bonne aventure
MEANING: by good luck
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: à la campagne
MEANING: in the country
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: à la mode
MEANING: to the trend; in the current style; with ice cream on top
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: al dente
MEANING: to the tooth; a style of cooking in which the food is firm, not soft
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: al fresco
MEANING: in the air; out of doors; an outdoor of eatery; a kind of painting done of wet plaster
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: alias
MEANING: otherwise named
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: alla
MEANING: to the; as; by; in the manner or style of
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: allegro
MEANING: a musical instruction meaning quickly
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: allelu
MEANING: praise
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: alleluia
MEANING: praise Yahwe
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: allemande
MEANING: a cheerful dance in common time; a lively German dance in duple simple or triple simple time
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: allez-vouzen
MEANING: go away; get out
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: allons
MEANING: let’s go; c’mon
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: alma mater
MEANING: bounteous mother; one’s school or college
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: aloha
MEANING: love; greetings; farewell
ORIGIN: Hawaiian
WORD/PHRASE: amen
MEANING: truly; so be it
ORIGIN: L, Greek, Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: amontillado
MEANING: a dry sherry, light in color and aromatic in bouquet
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: amour propre
MEANING: self love; vanity
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: andante
MEANING: a musical instruction meaning slowly
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: angst
MEANING: anxiety, a general or neurotic feeling of gloom and depression
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: anima mundi
MEANING: world soul
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: animo et fide
MEANING: with courage or pride
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: anno Domini
MEANING: in the year of the Lord
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: anno mundi
MEANING: in the year of the world
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: annus mirabilis
MEANING: year of wonders
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ante lucem
MEANING: before the dawn
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ante meridiem
MEANING: before noon
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ante pasto
MEANING: before food; a salad served before the main course
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: apeçu
MEANING: a general sketch or survey
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a perte de vue
MEANING: till beyond ones’ view
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a pied
MEANING: on foot
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: a priori
MEANING: from cause to effect; deductive reasoning
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a posteriori
MEANING: from subsequent facts to cause; inductive reasoning
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: apropos
MEANING: to the purpose; at the right time; relevant
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aqua fortis
MEANING: strong water; nitric acid; usedin art for etching
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: aqua vitae
MEANING: water of life; alcohol
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad antiquitatem
MEANING: argument of antiquity; that’s the way it’s always been
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad baculum
MEANING: appeal to force; might makes right
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad crumenam
MEANING: argument of wealth
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad hominem
MEANING: to the man; argument attacking one’s opponent
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad ignorantiam
MEANING: argument from ignorance
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad lazarum
MEANING: argument of poverty
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad logicam
MEANING: argument of logic; a logical fallacy in which a proposition is said to be false merely on the grounds that it has been presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad misericordiam
MEANING: appeal to pity; special pleading
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad nauseam
MEANING: argument of repetition
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad novitatem
MEANING: argument of novelty; it is true because it’s new
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad numerum
MEANING: appeal to the numbers; or, a million Frenchmen can’t be wrong
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad populum
MEANING: appeal to the people
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumetum ad rem
MEANING: to thing; argument directed at the matter at hand
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: argumentum ad verecundiam
MEANING: appeal to authority
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: aria
MEANING: air; an air or art song; a form of song, usually for one voice containing an elaborate melody
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria buffa
MEANING: a comic aria
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria cantabile
MEANING: a graceful, melodious aria
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria concertata
MEANING: an aria written with orchestral accompaniment
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: ara de mezzo carattere
MEANING: an ordinary aria
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria di bravura
MEANING: an aria with much flair
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria di portamento
MEANING: an aria with poramento
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria fugata
MEANING: an aria with a fugal accompaniment
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: aria parlante
MEANING: a spoken aria, similar to a recitative with a steady tempo
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: arietta
MEANING: a brief aria (ariettina)
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: arioso
MEANING: an aria-like recitative having phrases of a rather lyric nature
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: armoire
MEANING: tool chest; a large ornamental cupboard or cabinet
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: arroyo
MEANING: a dry gully; rivulet; stream
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: ars gratia artis
MEANING: art for art’s sake
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ars longa, vita brevis
MEANING: art is long, life is short
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ars poetica
MEANING: the art of poetry
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: au contraire
MEANING: on the contrary
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: audiatur et altera pars
MEANING: failure to state one’s premises
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: auf Wiedersehen
MEANING: until again to see; goodbye
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: au fond
MEANING: at the bottom; essentially; at the heart
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aus jus
MEANING: with juice; served in its own juice or with the juice on the side, said of meat
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: au lait
MEANING: with milk
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: auld lang syne
MEANING: old long since; good times past
ORIGIN: Scottish dialect
WORD/PHRASE: au naturel
MEANING: in the natural state; naked
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: au revoir
MEANING: again to see; goodbye
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aut Caesar aut nihil
MEANING: either the emperor or nothing; everything or nothing
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: Autobahn
MEANING: automobile highway; any high speed road; the Autobahn in Germany has no speed limit and the term is used for any thoroughfare driven at high speed
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: autrefois
MEANING: formerly
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: aux
MEANING: to the; of the
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avalanche
MEANING: slippery place; a mass of loose material suddenly and swiftly sliding down a mountain
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avant-courier
MEANING: before to run; one sent ahead to give notice of someone’s arrival
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avante-garde
MEANING: advance guard; a new and unconventional movement, such as in the arts
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avant-propos
MEANING: preliminary material; preface
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avatar
MEANING: down beyond; an early incarnation of God
ORIGIN: Sanskrit
WORD/PHRASE: ave Maria
MEANING: haily Mary; a prayer to the Virgin Mary
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: avec plaisir
MEANING: with pleasure; gladly
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: avoirdupois
MEANING: to have weight
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: a votre santé
MEANING: to your health; a toast
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ayatollah
MEANING: a sign of God; a Shitite Muslim leader
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: B.C.
MEANING: before Christ
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: babushka
MEANING: grandmother; a scarf worn on the head of a woman
ORIGIN: Russian
WORD/PHRASE: baccalaureate
MEANING: vassal farmer or young man; bachelor’s degree
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: badaud
MEANING: a lounger in the streets; and idler
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bafta
MEANING: find cotton fabric
ORIGIN: Persian
WORD/PHRASE: baguette
MEANING: wand; any object with a convex, oblong shape
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Baha’i
MEANING: follower of Bahaoullah (“splendor”); world religion founded in 1863
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: bain-marie
MEANING: bath of Mary; large pan or container
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bairn
MEANING: baby; child
ORIGIN: Scottish; Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: baksheesh
MEANING: to give; gratuity; tip
ORIGIN: Hindu; Persian
WORD/PHRASE: ballet
MEANING: small dance; an intricate dance using conventionalized movements to tell a story
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: balsa
MEANING: a light, strong wood used for rafts, model airplanes, etc.
ORIGIN: Peruvian
WORD/PHRASE: bambino
MEANING: baby; child
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: bamboo
MEANING: tropical treelike reed
ORIGIN: Malay
WORD/PHRASE: banderillero
MEANING: banderilla operator; one who sticks barbed darts into the neck and shoulders of the bull during a bullfight
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: banquet
MEANING: small table; feast; elaborate meal
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: banshee
MEANING: a woman of the fairies; a supernatural being resembling a woman, who is said to wail outside the residence of one soon to die
ORIGIN: Irish Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: banzai
MEANING: ten thousand years; may you live ten thousand years; used as a greeting, battle cry or cheer
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: baquet
MEANING: small tub
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bar mitzvah
MEANING: son of duty; a ceremony in which a thirteen-year old boy is accepted into the congregation as a man
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: barbecue
MEANING: framework of sticks; a framework for holding meat over an open fire; meat so cooked
ORIGIN: Haitian
WORD/PHRASE: barbican
MEANING: gate-house; a fortified gate or bridge leading into a city
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: barcole
MEANING: boatman; the typical song of the Venetian gondolier
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: barrage
MEANING: a dam; to stop; an intense, impenetrable wall of artillery fire
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: barrio
MEANING: bar; a political subdivision of a city; suburb
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: baruch ata Adonai
MEANING: praise be to God
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: bas bleu
MEANING: blue stocking; a literary woman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bas-relief
MEANING: low to raise; a manner of sculpture in which figures stand out slightly from the background
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: basso profundo
MEANING: low deep; a very deep male voice
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: bastille
MEANING: to build; originally any siege tower; the term is now associated with the Bastille prison fortress in Paris demolished by the populate on 14 July 1789
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: bat mitzvah
MEANING: daughter of duty; a ceremony in which a thirteen year old girl is accepted into the congregation as a woman.
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: bateau
MEANING: boat; small flat bottom riverboat
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: batik
MEANING: process for coloring cloth in which melted wax is applied, the cloth died and the wax removed
ORIGIN: Malay
WORD/PHRASE: Bauhaus
MEANING: to build a house; an architectural school characterized by the use of metal and glass, founded 1919
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: bayou
MEANING: narrow passage; marshy inlet or outlet of a lake; backwater; small stream
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bazaar
MEANING: market; a sale conducted for the benefit of a charity
ORIGIN: Persian
WORD/PHRASE: beatæ memoriæ
MEANING: of blessed memory
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: beauté du diable
MEANING: the devil’s good looks; youthful freshness
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: beau geste
MEANING: elegant gesture; a seemingly fine and noble but actually empty gesture, offer or act
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: beau monde
MEANING: elegant world; fashionable society
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: beaux esprits
MEANING: men of wit
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Bedouin
MEANING: desert dweller; a member of any of the wandering desert tribes of Arabia, Syria and North Africa; a nomad; a vagabond
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: bel canto
MEANING: beautiful song; a chorus of outstanding singers
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: beguine
MEANING: a style of rapid dance music originating in Martinique in duple meter, characterized by clarinet and trombone and with lilt instead of stomp
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: bel-esprit
MEANING: fine spirit; a clever, witty, or cultivated person
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: belladonna
MEANING: beautiful lady; a poisonous plant; deadly nightshade
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: belle
MEANING: beautiful; a beautiful woman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: belles-letres
MEANING: beautiful letters; fine literature as distinguished from technical writing
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ben trovato
MEANING: well invented
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: beret
MEANING: small cloak; flat, round cap of wool or other material
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bidet
MEANING: small bathroom appliance used for bathing the crotch
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bienvenue
MEANING: well come; welcome
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bijou
MEANING: jewel; trinket
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: billet-doux
MEANING: sweet note; love letter
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bivouac
MEANING: by guard; a temporary military encampment without fortifications
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: blancmange
MEANING: white to eat; a sweet, molded, jellylike dessert made from starch and milk
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: blasé
MEANING: to satiate; bored by excessive enjoyment
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: blintz
MEANING: small pancake; a thin pancake rolled with a filling
ORIGIN: Yiddish
WORD/PHRASE: blitz
MEANING: lightning; to attack and devastate
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: blitzkrieg
MEANING: lightning war; a war waged with great fury and intensity
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: bluette
MEANING: spark; a short, brilliant piece of music
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: B’nai B’rith
MEANING: children of the covenant; an international Jewish fraternity founded 1843
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: bodega
MEANING: wine cellar
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: bodhran
MEANING: an Irish drum
ORIGIN: Irish Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: bolero
MEANING: a moderately paced or lively Spanish dance in triple simple time with a distinctive rhythmic pattern; a slow-paced Latin American song form in common time having a bass pattern of a half note and two quarter notes
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: bolshevik
MEANING: the larger; a comunist
ORIGIN: Russian
WORD/PHRASE: bomba
MEANING: a Puerto Rican style of folklore dance music
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: bon ami
MEANING: a good friend (said of males)
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon appetit
MEANING: good appetite; eat hearty
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon jour
MEANING: good day; hello
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon mot
MEANING: good word; a clever or witty saying
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon soir
MEANING: good evening
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon ton
MEANING: good tone; fashionable society
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon vivant
MEANING: good eater; one who enjoys good food
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon voyage
MEANING: good voyage; pleasant journey
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bona fide
MEANING: good faith; genuine; in reality
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: bonbon
MEANING: good; a small candy often with a creamy filling
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bonhomie
MEANING: good man; having a cheerful manner
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bon ami
MEANING: good friend (said of females)
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bonsai
MEANING: tray arrangement; the art of miniaturizing trees and shrubs
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: bossa nova
MEANING: new trend; a type of 1960s dance music, derived from the samba, originating in Brazil
ORIGIN: Portuquese
WORD/PHRASE: boudoir
MEANING: to sulk; the private dressing room of a woman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bouffant
MEANING: puffed out; in a puffed out or pulled out style
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bouillabaisse
MEANING: to boil and settle; a kind of fish chowder
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bouillon
MEANING: to boil; a clear broth
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bouquet
MEANING: a plume; a small thicket; a bunch of flowers; the aroma of a wine or brandy
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bourgeouis
MEANING: townspeople; villagers; middle class
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bourgeoisie
MEANING: the middle class
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: boutique
MEANING: storehouse; a small shop selling fashionable, expensive items
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: boutoniere
MEANING: buttonhole; a flower or a small bunch of flowers worn in the buttonhole of a lapel
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Brahman
MEANING: devotion; originally, one belonging to the highest caste of Hindus; currently, one who is cultured, upper class or haughty
ORIGIN: Hindi
WORD/PHRASE: brassiere
MEANING: arm; an undergarment designed to support the breasts
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bratwurst
MEANING: small pork sausage
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: bravado
MEANING: mock courage
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: bravissimo
MEANING: the superlative of bravo; excellent
ORIGIN: Italian
WORD/PHRASE: bravo
MEANING: well done!
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: bric-a-brac
MEANING: small decorative ornaments
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: brindisi
MEANING: an Italian drinking son
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: briquette
MEANING: small brick; a molded, brick-like piece of material used for fuel
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: buffet
MEANING: sideboard; a counter or table where refreshments are served
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bungalow
MEANING: small, one story house or cottage
ORIGIN: Anglo-Indian
WORD/PHRASE: bureau
MEANING: desk; office; a minor governmental office
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: burlesque
MEANING: mockery; a parodying, ludicrous style of entertainment
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: bushido
MEANING: the samurai code of conduct
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: c. or ca.
MEANING: circa; approximately
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ça ira
MEANING: it shall go on; the refrain of a popular song of the French revolution
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: caballero
MEANING: horse; horseman; a lady’s escort
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: cabaret
MEANING: type of popular singing and dancing entertainment
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cabeza
MEANING: chief; head
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: cabob
MEANING: a dish made of cut pieces of meat, vegetables and eggs roasted on a skewer
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: cacciatore
MEANING: a hunter; cooked in a deep dish with oil, tomatoes and spices
ORIGIN: Italian
WORD/PHRASE: cache
MEANING: to hide; a place where stores or valuables are hidden
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cadet
MEANING: younger brother; a younger man or woman in officer training
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cadre
MEANING: a frame; the nucleus around which a larger force can be built
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Caesar
MEANING: the hairy one; an emperor or autocrat
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: cafe
MEANING: coffee; a small, informal coffeehouse or restaurant
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cairn
MEANING: a heap; a small pile of stones erected as a monument or landmark
ORIGIN: Scottish Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: camera obscura
MEANING: chamber dark; camera that project images in natural colors, used in art exhibits
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: camouflage
MEANING: to disguise; to disguise troops and equipment by changing their appearance
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: camoufleur
MEANING: an expert in camouflage
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: campaign
MEANING: an open field; a series of planned operations with a particular objective
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: campesino
MEANING: a farm worker
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: campo santo
MEANING: a burying ground; “holy field”
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: canapé
MEANING: small appetizer made of apiece of bread or a cracker and a spread
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: canción
MEANING: song; a popular song, usually throughfully-composed, slow and sentimental
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: canoe
MEANING: a light, narrow boat propelled by paddles
ORIGIN: native Carib
WORD/PHRASE: canto
MEANING: song or singing
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: cap à pié
MEANING: from head to foot
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: capriccio
MEANING: whim; a lively, irregular musical composition
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: cara sposa
MEANING: dear wife
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: caribou
MEANING: type of reindeer
ORIGIN: Canadian French
WORD/PHRASE: carte blanche
MEANING: white card; a paper authorizing the bearer to exercise unlimited power; free reign
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cartouche
MEANING: roll of paper; cartridge; an oval figure in ancient Egyptian writing containing a name
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: castrato
MEANING: a castrated male; a man who has been castrated young to retain a soprano singing voice (no longer practiced)
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: cause célèbre
MEANING: case celebrated; a legal controversy accompanied by much publicity
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: caveat
MEANING: let him beware; a warning
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: caveat emptor
MEANING: let the buyer beware; purchase at your own risk
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: cayuse
MEANING: small native American pony
ORIGIN: Oregon, Native American name
WORD/PHRASE: ceile
MEANING: Irish dance music; an Irish party with dance music
ORIGIN: Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: cello
MEANING: small bass viol; the tenor member of the violin family
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: cf.
MEANING: confer; compare
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: chagrin
MEANING: a rough leather used for rasping wood; discomfort caused by disappointment or embarrassment
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: chaise lounge
MEANING: chair long; a couch with a back support at one end
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: chanson
MEANING: art song
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: chère amie
MEANING: a dear (female) friend
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ci git
MEANING: here lies
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: circa
MEANING: about
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: circulus in demonstrando
MEANING: circular demonstration; circular argument; one uses one’s conclusion to prove one’s premise
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: cogito ergo sum
MEANING: I think, therefore I am
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: con
MEANING: against, opposed to
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: con amore
MEANING: with love; very earnestly
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: conciergerie
MEANING: a doorkeeper’l lodge; also name of an ancient prison in Paris
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: concerto
MEANING: a composition for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra, usually in the form of a sonata in three movements: allegro, andante and finale
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: con dolore
MEANING: with grief; sorrowfully
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: confrère
MEANING: colleague
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: conga
MEANING: an Afro-Cuban drum; a style of Afro-Cuban dance music associated with Carnival processions, consisting of vocal and percussion
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: conjunto
MEANING: ensemble; a Cuban dance band consisting of horns, piano, bass and percussion; a Cuban musical style 1940s to 1950s; a Tex-Mex dance band consisting of accordion, guitars and bass, and occasionally horns
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: contra
MEANING: against, opposed to
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: cordon bleu
MEANING: blue-ribbon; a cook of the highest excellence
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: corps de garde
MEANING: a body of men in a guardroom; the room iteslf
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: coup
MEANING: a stroke
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: coup d’état
MEANING: a sudden decisive blow in politics
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: creole
MEANING: a general term meaning mixture of culture; in music, creole refers to various styles depending on location, briefly: Spanish style in the West Indies, French style in Louisiana, and African style in the Caribbean
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: crux
MEANING: a cross; puzzle; difficulty
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: cul-de-sac
MEANING: a blind alley, often used figuratively
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: cum hoc ergo propter hoc
MEANING: a logical fallacy in which two events that occur together are assumed to be casually related
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: cum bona venia
MEANING: with your good leave
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: curriculum vitae
MEANING: life history
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: d’accord
MEANING: in agreement
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: débâcle
MEANING: the break-up of ice in a river; hence, a general, confused route
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: de die in diem
MEANING: from day to day
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: de facto
MEANING: in fact, in reality
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: dégagé
MEANING: free; easy; unconstrained
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: D.G., Dei Gratia
MEANING: by the Grace of God
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: de gustibus non disputandum
MEANING: there is no accounting for taste
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: de jure
MEANING: free from the law; by right
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: de mal en pis
MEANING: from bad to worse
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: denoument
MEANING: a dramatic conclusion
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: de novo
MEANING: anew
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: Deus avertat!
MEANING: God forbid!
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: deus ex machina
MEANING: god in the machine; a dramatic device in which divine invention affects the outcome
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: diablos
MEANING: devil
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: dicto simpliciter
MEANING: sweeping generalization
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: dictum factum
MEANING: no sooner said than done
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ditto
MEANING: the same
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: divertimento
MEANING: a light, informal composition, often consisting of several movements, or sometimes included as a movement of a larger work
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: double entente
MEANING: double or equivocal meaning; a play on words
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: du jour
MEANING: of the day; current; temporary
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: dum vivimus, vivamus
MEANING: while we live; let us live
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: eau sucrée
MEANING: sweetened water
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ecce homo
MEANING: behold the man
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: e contra
MEANING: on the other hand
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: e.g., exempli gratia
MEANING: for example
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ego et rex meus
MEANING: I and my King
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: elan vitale
MEANING: vital essence
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: emeritus
MEANING: retired or superannuated after long service
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: en ami
MEANING: as a friend
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: en avant
MEANING: forward
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: en garde
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: en route
MEANING: on the way
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: entêté
MEANING: obstinate; self-willed
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: entourage
MEANING: Surroundings; friends, confidants, etc.
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: entr’ acte
MEANING: between acts; music played between the acts of a drama
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: e pluribus unum
MEANING: one out of many; one composed of many (motto of the U.S.O)
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ergo
MEANING: therefore
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: spirit de corps
MEANING: the animating spirit of a collective body, as a regiment
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: et al., et alii
MEANING: and others
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: et seq.
MEANING: following
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: et tu Brute!
MEANING: and thou also, Brutus
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: etc. or &c., et cetera
MEANING: and so on; and the rest
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: eureka!
MEANING: I have found it!
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: ex officio
MEANING: by the virtue of office
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: exposé
MEANING: a statement; a recital
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: façon
MEANING: manner, style
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: faux pas
MEANING: false step; a slip in behavior
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: feng shui
MEANING: the art of placement
ORIGIN: Chinese
WORD/PHRASE: festina lente
MEANING: hasten slowly
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: fiat lux
MEANING: let there be light
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: fillet
MEANING: thinly sliced
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: fin de siècle
MEANING: end of the (nineteenth) century
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: fleur de lys
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: fricassee
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: führer
MEANING: emperor
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: gage d’amore
MEANING: pledge of love
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: garçon
MEANING: boy; waiter or restaurant server
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: gardez bien
MEANING: take good care
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: gauche
MEANING: left; of cheap or shabby quality; lower class; common
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: genius loci
MEANING: the genius (or guardian spirit) of a place
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: gloria in excelsis (Deo)
MEANING: Glory (to God) in the highest
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: gloria Patri
MEANING: Glory be to the Father
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: glückliche Reise!
MEANING: a pleasant journey!
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: grâce à Dieu
MEANING: Thanks to God
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: gratus dictum
MEANING: mere assertion
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: habañera
MEANING: a Spanish or Cuban dance in triple time in slow or moderate tempo
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: hac lege
MEANING: on this condition; with this restriction
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: hara-kiri
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: haut goût
MEANING: high favor; elegant taste
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: hic et euique
MEANING: here and everywhere
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: hic jacet
MEANING: here lies
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ho-hoane
MEANING: an Irish dirge or lament; term derived from Irish: ochone
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: hominis est errare
MEANING: to err is human
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: hors d’æuvre
MEANING: out of course; a relish
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: I ching
MEANING: the book of change
ORIGIN: Chinese
WORD/PHRASE: i.e., id est
MEANING: that is
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ib, ibid, ibidem
MEANING: in the same place
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ich gien
MEANING: I serve (motto of the Prince of Wales)
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: id, idem
MEANING: the same
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ignoratio elenchi
MEANING: irrelevant conclusion
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: Il Duce
MEANING: the chief
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: imam
MEANING: guide; a Muslim leader or priest
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: impalla
MEANING: a species of south American antelope
ORIGIN: native name
WORD/PHRASE: impasse
MEANING: impassable road; unresolvable situation
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: impos animi
MEANING: of weak mind
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: impresario
MEANING: enterprise; the organizer of an opera company, ballet company, etc.
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: in absentia
MEANING: in absence; while one is away
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in æternum
MEANING: forever
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in esse
MEANING: in being; actually existing
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in posse
MEANING: in possibility; does not actually exist but may
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in flagrante delicto
MEANING: in the act; caught red-handed
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in loco
MEANING: in the place; in the correct or specified place
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in loco parentis
MEANING: in the place; in the correct or specified place
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: in toto
MEANING: in total; wholly and completely
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: inamorata
MEANING: lover; a man’s lover
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: inamorato
MEANING: lover; a woman’s lover
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: incognito
MEANING: unknown; in disguise; under and assumed name
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: ingenue
MEANING: ingenuous; an innocent or inexperienced young woman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: innuendo
MEANING: to hint; a reference implying something derogatory
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: in re
MEANING: in the matter of
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: in veno veritas
MEANING: there is truth in wine
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: iota (the letter i)
MEANING: a tiny amount; the smallest possible item
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: ipso facto
MEANING: by the act itself
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: issei
MEANING: the first generation; a Japanese who emigrated to the US after 1907 and is ineligible to become a US citizen
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: ita est
MEANING: it is so
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: jacta est alea
MEANING: the die is cast
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: jeu de mots
MEANING: a play on words; a pun
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: joie de vivre
MEANING: elan
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: judicum Dei
MEANING: the judgment of God
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: julienne, a la julienne
MEANING: cut into thin strips
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: jure divino
MEANING: by divine law
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: kabbalah
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: kahuna
MEANING: leader
ORIGIN: Hawaiian
WORD/PHRASE: kamikazi
MEANING: suicide plot
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: karaoke
MEANING: empty orchestra; a 1980s and 1990s nightclub pastime in which customers take turns signing well-known songs solo to the accompaniment of a specially done audio tape
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: kibei
MEANING:
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: klezmer music
MEANING: a style of popular music derived from “15th century… Jewish soul music; a ragtag of folk themes from Russia, Poland, Germany and all the byways of the Diaspora; sometimes described as “Jewish jazz”
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: ktema es ari
MEANING: a possession for all time
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: kyrie eleison
MEANING: lord have mercy
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: L’ état c’est moi
MEANING: I am the State (attr. To King Louis XIV, who never actually said it)
ORIGIN: French
WORD/PHRASE: laissez-faire
MEANING: let alone; noninterference
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: lapsus linguæ
MEANING: a slip of the tongue
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate
MEANING: all hope abandon ye who enter here (inscription on the entrance to hell of Dante’s Inferno)
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: lebe wohl
MEANING: farewell
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: leitmotif
MEANING: guiding motif; a specific musical phrase associated with a character, thought or action in a musical work; the technique devised by Wagner for his Ring cycle
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: le point du jour
MEANING: daybreak
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: lèse-majesté
MEANING: high treason
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: loco
MEANING: insane
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: locum tenens
MEANING: a deputy; a substitute
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: loge
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: love
MEANING: zero; in tennis; a score of zero
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: m.o.; modus operandi
MEANING: method of operation
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: ma chère
MEANING: my dear (feminine)
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ma foi
MEANING: upon my faith
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: magnum opus
MEANING: a great work
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: maigre
MEANING: fasting
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: mala fide
MEANING: with bad faith; treacherously
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: mambo
MEANING: a Cuban style of high-energy dance band music
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: mañana
MEANING: tomorrow
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: mardi gras
MEANING: shrove Tuesday
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: mbube
MEANING: lion; an African singing style performed by male choirs of ten to twelve
ORIGIN: Swahili
WORD/PHRASE: mea culpa
MEANING: my fault
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: mêlée
MEANING: a confused conflict
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: memento mori
MEANING: remember that you must die; a reminder of death
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: merengue
MEANING: a Latin American musical style
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: mi casa su casa
MEANING: my house is your house
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: mon ami
MEANING: my friend (masculine)
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: monde conde
MEANING: dog’s world
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: montage
MEANING: art of combining several pictures or film segments together
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ms.
MEANING: manuscript
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: mss.
MEANING: manuscripts
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: N.B.; Nota Bene
MEANING: note well
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: née
MEANING: born; used in giving the maiden name of married woman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: négligé
MEANING: morning dress; an easy loose dress
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: nemo me impune lacessit
MEANING: no one assails me with impunity (motto of Scotland)
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: n’est ce pas?
MEANING: Isn’t that so?
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: ne plus ultra
MEANING: idea
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: ne quid nimis
MEANING: avoid excess
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: nicht wahf?
MEANING: Isn’t that so?
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: Noël
MEANING: Christman
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: nolle prosequi
MEANING: dropping of charges
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: nom de guerre
MEANING: war name; alias
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: nom de plum
MEANING: pen name
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: non causa pro causa
MEANING: a logical fallacy in which one identifies something as the cause of an event but it has not actually been shown to be the cause
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: no squitur
MEANING: does not follow
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: objet d’art
MEANING: art object; curio
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: ohne Hast, ohne Rest
MEANING: without haste; without rest (motto of Goethe)
ORIGIN: Greek
WORD/PHRASE: Om
MEANING: the creative power of the universe
ORIGIN: Hindu
WORD/PHRASE: omnem movere lapidem
MEANING: to leave no stone unturned
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: omnia ad Deim gloriam
MEANING: all things for the glory of God
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: omnia vincit amor
MEANING: love conquers all things
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: onus probandi
MEANING: burden of proof
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: oro è che oro vale
MEANING: all is not gold that glitters
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: p.m.; post meridiem
MEANING: after noon
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: P.S.; post scriptum
MEANING: after writing
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pas
MEANING: as step
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: passé
MEANING: past; out of date
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: passim
MEANING: everywhere; throughout
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pastiche
MEANING: a medly made up of melodies by different composers
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: pax vobiscum
MEANING: peace be with you
ORIGIN: L
WORD/PHRASE: per annum
MEANING: by the year
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: per capita
MEANING: by the heads; for each individual
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: per centum
MEANING: by the hundredths
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: per contra
MEANING: on the contrary
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: per diem
MEANING: by the day; daily
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: per se
MEANING: by itself
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: petition principii
MEANING: begging the question
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pibroch
MEANING: a Scottish type of solo bagpipe music, a form of art music
ORIGIN: Scottish
WORD/PHRASE: pied-a-terre
MEANING: apartment
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: planxty
MEANING: a song written in honor of someone
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: plurium interrogationum
MEANING: many questions; a logical fallacy in which one demands a simply answer to complex question
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: porco a poco
MEANING: little by little
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: potpurri
MEANING: another name for fantasia
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: prima donna
MEANING: first lady; the chief female singer in an opera
ORIGIN: I
WORD/PHRASE: primo
MEANING: in the first place
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pro bono
MEANING: for the good
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pro bono publico
MEANING: for the good of the public
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pro et contra
MEANING: for and against
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: pro forma
MEANING: for the sake of form
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: propaganda
MEANING: the propagation of principles or views
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: protégé
MEANING: one under the protection of another
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: pro tem.; pro tempore
MEANING: for the time being
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: q.e.d.; quod erat demonstrandum
MEANING: which was to have been demonstrated
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: q.v.; quod vide
MEANING: which see
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: qui vive
MEANING: alert
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: quid pro quo
MEANING: tit for tat; something in return
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: quis custodiet ipsos custodies?
MEANING: who shall guard the guards themselves?
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: qui va là
MEANING: who goes there?
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: quo vadis
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: quodlibet
MEANING: a group of two or more songs with harmonic structures making them suitable harmony for each other; one song of such a group
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: raconteur
MEANING: a teller of stories
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: raison d’ete
MEANING: reason to be
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: re
MEANING: in the matter of; in reference to
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: reconnaissance
MEANING: survey
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: reggae
MEANING: a style of popular music originating in Jamaica consisting of heavily accented upbeat, with four beats per measure, with a strong bass line and blues feel, popular in the UK 1970s, Bob Marley
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: répertoire
MEANING: a list; a stock of songs, dramas, etc.
ORIGIN: French
WORD/PHRASE: rerum primordia
MEANING: the first element of things
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: res gestæ
MEANING: things done; exploits
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: respublica
MEANING: the commonwealth
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: résumé
MEANING: a summary or abstract
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: Rosh Hashanah
MEANING: the Jewish New Year
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: rouge et noir
MEANING: red and black; a game of chance
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: s’il vous plait
MEANING: if you please
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: salaam
MEANING: peace
ORIGIN: Arabic
WORD/PHRASE: salle
MEANING: a hall
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: sale à manger
MEANING: dining room
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: salsa
MEANING: a style of 1970s popular music originating in New York City consisting of Latin American dance music combining the big band sound with a fast tempo; salsa bands consist of brass, guitars, keyboards and drums; salsa was created by combining Puerto Rican and Cuban musical styles with jazz and rock.
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: samba
MEANING: a type of folklore and now ballroom dance music originating in Rio de Janerio street carnivals, combining African and Brazilian dance influences, and consisting of syncopation in duple time, becoming popular in the US and UK in the 1950s.
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: samurai
MEANING: a warrior
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: sanctum sanctorum
MEANING: holy of holies
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sang froid
MEANING: coolness; indifference
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: sanjo
MEANING: a form of solo-instrument Korean traditional music in several movements
ORIGIN: Korean
WORD/PHRASE: sans souci
MEANING: without care
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: santé
MEANING: health
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: sauve qui peut
MEANING: let him save himself who can
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: savior-faire
MEANING: the knowing how to act; tact
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: scherzo
MEANING: a musical direction meaning rapidly with abandon; a scherzo movement of a larger work
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: se
MEANING: yes
ORIGIN: Spanish
WORD/PHRASE: sega
MEANING: an infectiously bouncy style from Mauritius consisting of an offbeat duple compound rhythm
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: semper fidelis
MEANING: always faithful
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: semper idem
MEANING: always the same
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: shalom
MEANING: peace
ORIGIN: Hebrew
WORD/PHRASE: shiatsu
MEANING: acupuncture without needles
ORIGIN: Japanese
WORD/PHRASE: sic
MEANING: thus; yes, this is correct (as in “the quick broune fox [sic])
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: sic et non
MEANING: yes and no
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sic semper tyrannis
MEANING: thus always to tyrants
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: sine cura
MEANING: without cause or care
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sine die
MEANING: without a day being appointed
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sine mora
MEANING: without delay
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sine qua non
MEANING: an indispensable condition
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: sine qua non
MEANING: indispensable; essence
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: Sinn Fein
MEANING: we ourselves; the name of the political arm of the Irish Republican Army
ORIGIN: Irish Gaelic
WORD/PHRASE: si vis pacem, bara bellum
MEANING: if you wish for peace, prepare for war
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: ska
MEANING: a style of the 1960s popular dance music originating in Jamaica, consisting of syncopation performed by sax and other brass, derived from calypso, jazz, bebop and rhythm and blues; the precursor of reggae
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: sprechen Sie Deutsch?
MEANING: speak you German?
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: status quo
MEANING: the state in which; the existing condition
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: strathspey
MEANING: a lively Scottish dance in common time using sixteenth notes followed by dotted eighth notes, somewhat slower than a reel
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: Sturm und Drang
MEANING: storm and stress
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: sub poena
MEANING: under a penalty
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sub rosa
MEANING: under the rose; confidentially
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: sui generis
MEANING: of its own peculiar kind; in a class by itself
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: table d’hote
MEANING: a public dinner at an inn or hotel
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: tableau vivant
MEANING: a living picture; the representation of some scene by groups of persons
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: tabula rasa
MEANING: a smooth or blank taklet
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: tant mieux
MEANING: so much the better
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: tant pis
MEANING: so much the worse
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: tædium vitæ
MEANING: weariness of life
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: tao
MEANING: the way
ORIGIN: Chinese
WORD/PHRASE: tao
MEANING: the way
ORIGIN: Chinese
WORD/PHRASE: tao de ching
MEANING: the book of the way
ORIGIN: Chinese
WORD/PHRASE: te Deum laudamus
MEANING: we praise thee, O god (or rather, as God)
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: tempori parendum
MEANING: we must yield to the times
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: tempus fugit
MEANING: time flies
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: terra firma
MEANING: solid earth; a solid foothold
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: terra incognito
MEANING: an unknown country
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: toto cælo
MEANING: by the whole heavens; diametrically opposite
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: touche
MEANING: Got you
ORIGIN: French
WORD/PHRASE: tour de force
MEANING: a notable feat of strength or skill
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: troubadour
MEANING: a northern French minstrel, bard or poet-musician of the twelfth century
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: tu quoque
MEANING: you too; a logical fallacy in which an action is argued to be acceptable because the other party has performed it
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: tutor et ultor
MEANING: protector and avenger
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: Ubung macht den Meister
MEANING: practice makes perfect
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: und so weiter
MEANING: and so on
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: unter vier Augen
MEANING: under four eyes; between ourselves
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: urbi et orbi
MEANING: to the city (Rome) and the world
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vade in pace
MEANING: go in peace
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vae victus
MEANING: woe to the vanquished
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: valet de chambre
MEANING: a personal attendant; a body servant
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: vaudville
MEANING: a balled; a comic opera
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: velis et remis
MEANING: by every possible means
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: veni, vidi, vici
MEANING: I came, I saw, I conquered
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: verbatim et literatim
MEANING: word for word and letter for letter
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: via
MEANING: by the way of
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: via trita, via tuta
MEANING: the beaten path is the safe path
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vice versa
MEANING: the terms being exchanged; the reverse is also true
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vincit omina veritas
MEANING: truth conquers all things
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vis à vis
MEANING: opposite; face to face
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: viva voce
MEANING: by the living voice; orally
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vive la france
MEANING: long live France
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: vive le roi!
MEANING: long live the King!
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: viz.; videlicet
MEANING: namely
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: voussoir
MEANING: archstone; supporting stone of an arch
ORIGIN: F
WORD/PHRASE: vox pop.; vox populi
MEANING: voice of the people
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: vs.
MEANING: versus; against
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: Wanderlust
MEANING: passion for traveling (or wondering)
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: weltanschauung
MEANING: world view; theory or conception of life or of the world in all its aspects
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: weltschmertz
MEANING: world pain; sentimental pessimism
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: Yodel
MEANING: a male vocal style originating in the European Alps characterized by quick changes from natural voices to falsetto
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: Yoga
MEANING: a physical and mental health practice involving concentration on an object, a though or a deity for the purpose of establishing identity of consciousness with the object of concentration
ORIGIN: Hindu
WORD/PHRASE: Zeitgeist
MEANING: Time-spirited; spirit of the age; fashion of the day
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: zonam perdidit
MEANING: he has lost his purse
ORIGIN: Latin
WORD/PHRASE: zum Beispiel
MEANING: for example
ORIGIN: German
WORD/PHRASE: zut alors
MEANING:
ORIGIN:
WORD/PHRASE: zydeco
MEANING: a musical style consisting of a mixture of Cajun music, waltzes, rhythm and blues, country and soul (Newsweek, 28 Dec 87, pg. 67, obit for Clifton Chenier, “king of zydeco”)
ORIGIN: Arcadian