List of Use the correct foreign expression

Foreign Expression	Meaning
Ad hoc	For a specific purpose or situation
Alma mater	The school or college one graduated from
Alter ego	A second self or different version of oneself
A la carte	Items priced separately on a menu
A la mode	In fashion; with ice cream (in food)
Avant-garde	Innovative or ahead of its time
Bon voyage	Have a good trip
Carpe diem	Seize the day
C’est la vie	That’s life
Déjà vu	Feeling of having seen something before
En route	On the way
Faux pas	Social blunder
Haute couture	High-end fashion design
Joie de vivre	Joy of living
Laissez-faire	Hands-off policy or attitude
Modus operandi	A way of working or operating
RSVP	Please respond (Répondez s’il vous plaît)
Tête-à-tête	Private conversation between two people
Tour de force	An impressive achievement
Vice versa	The other way around
Vis-à-vis	Face to face; in relation to
Ad infinitum	Endlessly
Bête noire	Someone or something one dislikes
Carte blanche	Complete freedom
Coup d’état	Sudden overthrow of a government
Coup de grâce	Final blow
De facto	In fact, whether by right or not
De jure	By law
Esprit de corps	Team spirit
Et cetera (etc.)	And so on
Exempli gratia (e.g.)	For example
Id est (i.e.)	That is
In loco parentis	In place of the parent
In medias res	In the middle of things
In memoriam	In memory of
In vino veritas	Truth comes out in wine
Mea culpa	My fault
Persona non grata	Unwelcome person
Prima facie	At first sight
Pro bono	For the public good, without charge
Pro rata	Proportional
Quid pro quo	A favor for a favor
Sic	Thus, used in quoted text
Status quo	The current state of affairs
Sub poena	Under penalty (legal term)
Tabula rasa	Blank slate
Terra firma	Solid ground
Veni, vidi, vici	I came, I saw, I conquered
Verbatim	Word for word
Versus (vs.)	Against
Zeitgeist	Spirit of the times
Ad nauseam	To a sickening extent
Au revoir	Goodbye (French)
Schadenfreude	Pleasure from others’ misfortune
Bon appétit	Enjoy your meal
Détente	Relaxation of tensions
Dolce vita	The sweet life
Fiancé/Fiancée	Engaged man/woman
Gestalt	Whole is greater than sum of parts
Guru	Expert or teacher
Kismet	Fate or destiny
Kowtow	To bow or submit
Mardi Gras	Carnival (literally “Fat Tuesday”)
Memento	Souvenir or reminder
Nirvana	State of perfect peace
Nom de plume	Pen name
Ombudsman	A mediator or complaint handler
Panache	Flamboyant confidence
Paparazzi	Aggressive celebrity photographers
Par excellence	The best example
Patina	Surface change due to age or use
Prima donna	Temperamental person
Raison d’être	Reason for being
Renaissance	Rebirth; revival
Sabotage	Deliberate destruction
Savoir-faire	Ability to act appropriately
Sine qua non	Essential condition
Soupçon	A tiny bit or trace
Suave	Smooth and charming
Svengali	A person who manipulates others
Tsunami	Large sea wave (Japanese)
Tycoon	Wealthy business person
Utopia	Perfect place
Vendetta	Long-lasting grudge
Wanderlust	Strong desire to travel
Yogi	Spiritual teacher
Yin and yang	Opposing forces in harmony
Début	First appearance
Dossier	A file of documents
Ennui	Boredom
Faux	Fake
Flambé	Cooked with flame
Hara-kiri	Ritual suicide (Japanese)
Intermezzo	Short break or piece of music
Macabre	Gruesome or disturbing
Matador	Bullfighter
Mirage	Illusion
Nocturne	Musical piece about the night
Opera	Dramatic musical performance
Papal	Relating to the Pope
Poltergeist	Noisy ghost
Prima	First; main (especially in roles)
Repertoire	A collection of works or skills
Résumé	Summary of work experience
Rumba	A dance

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