Foreign Phrases Commonly Used in English
Phrases Beginning with the Letter C
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Foreign Phrase
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Language
Phrase
Meaning
Latin
camera obscura
dark chamber
Latin
carpe diem
seize the day
French
carte blanche
a free hand, a blank cheque
Latin
casus belli
justification for an act of war
French
cause célèbre
a celebrated case
Latin
caveat emptor
let the buyer beware
French
c’est la vie
that’s life
Latin
ceteris paribus
other things being equal
French
cherchez la femme
look for the woman
French
chez nous
at our place
Italian
chiaroscuro
light and dark
Yiddish
chutzpah
gall, arrogance, audacity
Latin
coitus interruptus
withdrawal prior to ejaculation
French
comédie humaine
the human comedy
French
comme ci comme ça
so-so
French
comme il faut
as it should be
Latin
compos mentis
of sound mind, sane
French
connoisseur
a discerning judge
Italian
conoscenti
connoisseurs, experts
French
cordon bleu
high quality
Latin
corpus delicti
evidence of a crime
Italian
cosa nostra
the Mafia
French
coup de grâce
death blow
French
coup d’état
sudden overthrow of a government
French
coup de théâtre
theatrical trick or unexpected event
French
coup de main
surprise attack
French
crème de la crème
best of its kind
French
cri de coeur
heartfelt cry
Latin
cui bono?
to whose benefit?
Latin
curriculum vitae (CV)
résumé
Russian
czar
autocratic leader