|
Language |
Phrase |
Meaning |
|
French
|
affaire de coeur
|
love affair
|
|
French
|
affaire d’honneur
|
a duel
|
|
French
|
agent provocateur
|
inside agent, spy
|
|
French
|
à la mode
|
fashionable
|
|
French
|
amateur
|
not professional, unskilful
|
|
French
|
amour propre
|
self-esteem, pride
|
|
French
|
ancien régime
|
the old regime
|
|
French
|
après moi le déluge
|
after me, the flood
|
|
French
|
à propos
|
regarding, concerning
|
|
French
|
arriviste
|
social climber
|
|
French
|
au contraire
|
on the contrary
|
|
French
|
au courant
|
up to date
|
|
French
|
au fait
|
expert, informed, up to date
|
|
French
|
au naturel
|
as in nature
|
|
French
|
avant-garde
|
radically original, cutting edge
|
|
French
|
beau geste
|
a fine gesture
|
|
French
|
beau monde
|
fashionable society
|
|
French
|
bel esprit
|
wit, elegance
|
|
French
|
belles lettres
|
writing valued for its aesthetic qualities
|
|
French
|
bête noir
|
annoyance, bugbear
|
|
French
|
billet doux
|
love letter
|
|
French
|
bon mot
|
witticism
|
|
French
|
bon vivant
|
person of refined tastes, gourmand
|
|
French
|
carte blanche
|
a free hand, a blank cheque
|
|
French
|
cause célèbre
|
a celebrated case
|
|
French
|
c’est la vie
|
that’s life
|
|
French
|
cherchez la femme
|
look for the woman
|
|
French
|
chez nous
|
at our place
|
|
French
|
comédie humaine
|
the human comedy
|
|
French
|
comme ci comme ça
|
so-so
|
|
French
|
comme il faut
|
as it should be
|
|
French
|
connoisseur
|
a discerning judge
|
|
French
|
cordon bleu
|
high quality
|
|
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
|
|
French
|
déclassé
|
fallen in social standing
|
|
French
|
décolletage
|
low-cut neckline
|
|
French
|
déjà vu
|
illusion of having experienced something already
|
|
French
|
demi-monde
|
prostitutes, bohemians
|
|
French
|
de rigueur
|
strictly required
|
|
French
|
dernier cri
|
last word, latest style
|
|
French
|
détente
|
relaxation of political tensions
|
|
French
|
de trop
|
too much, superfluous
|
|
French
|
double entendre
|
double meaning
|
|
French
|
du jour
|
of the day
|
|
French
|
éminence grise
|
power behind the throne
|
|
French
|
enfant terrible
|
prodigy, boy/girl wonder
|
|
French
|
en passant
|
incidental, in passing
|
|
French
|
en route
|
on the way
|
|
French
|
entente cordiale
|
alliance between countries
|
|
French
|
entre nous
|
confidentially
|
|
French
|
esprit de corps
|
team spirit
|
|
French
|
fait accompli
|
an accomplished fact
|
|
French
|
faux pas
|
social blunder
|
|
French
|
femme fatale
|
attractive, dangerous woman
|
|
French
|
film noir
|
black film
|
|
French
|
fin de siècle
|
decadent, jaded
|
|
French
|
folie à deux
|
delusion shared by two people
|
|
French
|
force majeure
|
irresistible force
|
|
French
|
haute couture
|
trend-setting fashion
|
|
French
|
haute cuisine
|
elaborate cookery
|
|
French
|
hors de combat
|
out of the fight, disabled
|
|
French
|
hors d’oeuvre
|
appetizer
|
|
French
|
idée fixe
|
fixed idea, obsession
|
|
French
|
je ne sais quoi
|
I don’t know what
|
|
French
|
jeu d’esprit
|
puzzle, brain teaser
|
|
French
|
joie de vivre
|
joy of life
|
|
French
|
laissez faire
|
non-interference in the affairs of others
|
|
French
|
lèse-majesté
|
high treason
|
|
French
|
manqué
|
failed
|
|
French
|
ménage à trois
|
threesome
|
|
French
|
mise en scène
|
stage setting, surroundings
|
|
French
|
mot juste
|
the right word
|
|
French
|
née
|
born
|
|
French
|
n’est-ce pas?
|
isn’t that right?
|
|
French
|
noblesse oblige
|
nobility obliges
|
|
French
|
nom de plume
|
pseudonym
|
|
French
|
nouveau riche
|
newly rich
|
|
French
|
objet d’art
|
object of some artistic worth
|
|
French
|
objet trouvé
|
found object
|
|
French
|
outré
|
exaggerated, excessive
|
|
French
|
par avion
|
by plane
|
|
French
|
par excellence
|
the best example, foremost
|
|
French
|
passe-partout
|
master key
|
|
French
|
petit bourgeois
|
lower middle classed
|
|
French
|
pièce de résistance
|
showpiece
|
|
French
|
pied-à-terre
|
apartment in town
|
|
French
|
plus ça change
|
the more things change
|
|
French
|
prêt-à-porter
|
ready to wear, to go
|
|
French
|
prix fixe
|
fixed price
|
|
French
|
pure laine
|
pure francophone
|
|
French
|
raison d’être
|
reason for being
|
|
French
|
réchauffé
|
warmed up
|
|
French
|
recherché
|
exotic, obscure
|
|
French
|
retroussé
|
turned up
|
|
French
|
roman à clef
|
novel representing real history as fiction
|
|
French
|
sang-froid
|
composure, equanimity
|
|
French
|
sans-souci
|
carefree
|
|
French
|
savoir faire
|
social tact
|
|
French
|
soi-disant
|
so-called, self-styled
|
|
French
|
soupçon
|
very small amount
|
|
French
|
tête-à-tête
|
intimate conversation
|
|
French
|
tour de force
|
exceptional achievement
|
|
French
|
tout de suite
|
immediately
|
|
French
|
tout le monde
|
everyone
|
|
French
|
trompe l’oeil
|
designed to give the illusion of reality or to deceive the eye
|
|
French
|
vis-à-vis
|
with regards to, in relation to
|
|
French
|
vive la différence
|
long live the difference
|
|
French
|
volte-face
|
reversal
|
| |
|