ubermensch - a superman

ujamaa - a village community in Tanzania

ultima Thule - a distant unknown region

untermensch - a racially inferior person in Nazi terms

vendeuse – a saleswoman, especially in a fashionable dress-shop

ventre a terre - at full speed

verboten - forbidden, especially by an authority

verkrampte - conservative or reactionary as regards South African apartheid

verligte – progressive and enlightened as rebgards South African apartheid

vers libre - irregular or unrhymed verse

via media – a compromise

victor ludorum - a sports champion

vide - (as an instruction in a reference to a passage in a book etc.) see, consult.

vieux jeu – old-fashioned, hackneyed

vingt-et-un – the card-game pontoon

vin ordinaire - cheap (unusually red) French wine.

vin rose - light pink wine

vis-a-vis - in relation to, compared with

viva - (cried as a salute etc.) long live

volkerwanderung - a migration of peoples, especially that of Germanic and Slavic peoples into Europe from the second to the eleventh centuries

volte-face - a complete reversal of position

vox populi - public opinion

wehrmacht- the German armed forces, especially the army, from 1921 to 1945

weltanshauung - a particular philosophy or view of life; a conception of the worl

zollverein - a customs union, especially of German Stales in the nineteenth cent

 tableau vivant- a silent and motionless group of people arranged to represent a scene

taedium vitae – weariness of life, especially as leading to suicide

tant mieux – so much the better

tant pis - so much the worse

terminus ad auem - the finishing-point of an argument, policy, etc.

terminus ante quern - the finishing-point of a period

terminus a quo - the starting-point of a period

terra incognita - unknown territory

terra sigillata - clay, or pottery, from Lemnos or Samos

terz rima - Prosody an arrangement of especially iambic pentameter triplets rhyming

aba bob cdc, etc.

tete-a-tete - an intimate conversation

tete-beche – (of a postage stamp) printed upside down or sideways

the dansant – an afternoon tea with dancing

ton - a prevailing fashion; fashionable society

tour de force - a feat of strength or skill

tous-les-mois - food starch from tubers of a canna, Canna Indica

tout court- without addition, simply

tout de suite - at once, immediately

trahison des clerce – the betrayal of standards by intellectuals

trente-et-quarante - rouge-et-noir

tristesse - sadness, grief, melancholy

trouvaille – a lucky find; a windfall

sang-froid – composure in agitating circumstances

sans-gene – without constraint

sauve qui peut – everyone for himself

savoir faire – the quality of knowing what to do

schadenfreude – the malicious enjoyment of another’s misfortunes

sehnsucht - yearning, wistful longing

sensur stricto -in a narrow sense

shul ~ a synagogue

sic – (usually in brackets) used, spelt, etc. as written (confirming, or drawing attention to, the form of quoted or copied words).

siffleur- (fem, siffleuse) a professional whistler

sine die – (of business) adjourned indefinitely

sine qua non – an indispensable requirement

skil, skoal – used as toast in drinking

slainte – a Gaelic toast; good health!

soi-disant – self-styled

soigne – (fern. soignee) – carefully finished or arranged; well-groomed

son et lumiere - an entertainment by night at a historic place, recounting its history by means of lighting effects and recorded sound

sotto voce – in an undertone

souteneur- a pimp

spatlese – white wine made (especially in Germany) from grapes gathered later than the general harvest.

sportif- interested in sports; suitable for informal wear

status quo – the existing state of affairs

sturm und drang - a late eighteenth-century German artistic and literary movement expressing violent emotion

sub rosa - (of consultation etc.) in secrecy.

success de scandale – a book, play, etc. made successful by its scandalous content.

sui generic — of its own kind; unique

summum bonum - the highest good

supra – above, earlier on (in a book or writing).

supreme - a dish served in a rich cream sauce

quid pro quo - something given in fair exchange

quod vide - (in cross-references) which see.

raison d’etre – the purpose that justifies a thing’s existence

range (fem, rangee) - domesticated orderly, settled

rara avis - a rare kind of person or thing

rechauffe - a warmed-up; a rehash

reduction ad absurdum - a method of disproving a premises by showing that the logical consequence is absurd

regina- the reigning queen (after a name or in the titles of lawsuits, e.g. Regina (V) Jones the Crown versus Jones)

reliquiae – remains

requiescat in pace – (on tombstones) may he/she rest in peace    -

rex – the reigning king (after a name o in the titles of lawsuits, e.g. Rex (v) Jones the Crown versus Jones).

Roman-a-clef- a novel giving invented names to real people or events

roman-fteuve – a novel, or series of novels, recounting the lives of one family

rouge-et-noir- a gambling game in which players place stakes on a red and black table.

rus in urbe – the country in the city (used of a pleasant suburb)

pace – (in stating a contrary opinion) with due deference to (the person named).

papabile - suitable for high office (originally to be pope)

par avion - by airmail

par excellence - being the supreme example of its kind

pari-mutuel - a form of betting in which the losers’ stakes are shared among those backing the first three places

pari passu - with equal speed; simultaneously

parti pris - prejudice, prejudiced

pas de chat - a leap in dancing, especially in classical ballet, in which each foot in turn is raised to the opposite knee

pas de deux - a dance for two people

pas glisse – a glisse; a sliding step in which the flat of the foot is often used

pas seul-a solo dance

passim - (of allusions or references in a published work) to be found at various places throughout the text)

pate de foie gras - a paste of fatted goose liver

pave – a paved street, road, or path; a setting of jewels placed closely together.

paysage – a rural landscape

pensee – a thought or reflection put into literary form; an aphorism.

pension – a Continental, especially French, boarding-house providing full or half board at a fixed rate

per annum - for each year

per capita - for each person

pere - (added to a surname to distinguish a father from a son) the father, senior (compare FILS).

per pro. - through the agency of (used in signatures)

per se – in itself

persona grata – a person (especially a diplomat) acceptable to certain others.

persona non grata - an unacceptable person

petanque — a game like bowls, played originally and chiefly in the south of France.

petition principii - the logical fallacy of begging the question

petit-maitre - a dandy, coxcomb

petit mal - a mild form of epilepsy

piece de resistance – the most important item

pied-a-terre – a small dwelling for occasional use

pis alter—a course of action followed as a last resort

pissoir- a public urinal

placet- an affirmative vote in an assembly

plat dujour- the special dish on a day’s menu

plus ca change - the true nature of a thing never change

pollu - a French private soldier, especially as a nickname

pons asinorum - any difficult problem that defeats the slow-witted

porte-cochere - a roofed porch at an entrance, where vehicles discharge passengers

poste restante - a direction that a letter is to be kept at a post office until collected

post-partum - after childbirth

pot-au-feu - a traditional thick French soup

pourboire - a gratuity or tip

predikant — a minister of the South Africa Dutch Reformed Church

prima facie -on a first impression, on the face of it.

primum mobile - the main source of motion or action; in medieval astronomy, an outermost sphere believed to revolve round the earth in 24 hours and cause the inner spheres to revolve

primus inter pares – a first or most important among equals

pro forma -as a matter of form (especially of an invoice sent in advance)

pro hac vice - for their occasion only

proneur— a person who extols; a flatterer

pro rata - in proportion

prosit-an expression used colloquially in drinking someone’s health

pro tempore - for the time being

proxime accessit – the person who comes second in an examination

nem. con. – with no one dissenting

ne plus ultra - the furthest attainable point; the culmination perfection

nihil obstat - an official authorization, especially that a book is acceptable to the Roman Catholic church

nil desperandum – never give up hope

noblesse - the nobility, especially of a foreign country

noblesse oblige - privilege entails responsibility

nolens volens - villy-nilly

nom de guerre — an assumed name under which someone fights, plays, etc.

nom de plume - an assumed name under which someone writes

non placet-a negative vote in an assembly

non possumus – a statement of inability to act

non sequitur-an illogical conclusion

nostalgie de la boue - a hankering for degradation and squalor

nota bene - observe what follows, take notice (usually drawing attention to a following qualification of what has preceded)

nouveau riche - someone newly and ostentatiously rich

nouvelle cuisine - a modern style of cookery, light and elegantly presented

nouvelle vague —a trend in French film-making of the early 1960s

obiter dictum - a judge ‘s incidental expression of opinion

objet d’art - a small decorative object

omerta - a code of silence, as practiced by the Mafia

on dit-a piece of gossip

opera comique - a light-hearted, especially French opera with spoken dialogue

hakenkreuz - a swastika, especially as a Nazi symbol

haute couture - high fashion; the leading fashion houses

haute cuisine - French traditional cookery of a high standard

haute eole - the art of training horses in advanced classical deportment,

haut monde - fashionable society

Herrenvolk - the German nation, characterized by the Nazis as born to mastery; a group regarding

itself as naturally superior

Homo - any primate of the genus Homo, including modern humans and various extinct species

Honnete home - an honest and decent man

Honoris causa — (especially of a degree awarded without examination) as a mark of merit

Hors concours - unrivalled; not competing for a prize

Hors de combat - out of the action, disabled

Hortus siccus - a collection of dried plants

?

Idee fixe - obsession that dominates the mind

Idee recue – a generally accepted opinion

In absentia - in (his, her, their) absence

In extensor- in full, at length

In extremis - at the point of death; in great difficulties

Infra - below, further on (in a book or writing)

Infra dig - beneath one’s dignity, unbecoming

In loco parentis - in the position of a parent

In medias res - into the middle of things

in proria persona - in his or her own person

In re – in the matter of

In situ - in its (original) place

In statu pupillari - in position of a pupil; under authority

Inter alia - among other things

In toto - completely

In utero - in the womb; before birth

In vacuo-in a vacuum

In vitro- (of biological processes) taking place in a test-tube or other laboratory environment

In vivo - (of biological processes) taking place in a living organism

Ipse dixit - a statement resting merely on the speaker’s authority

Ipso facto - by that very fact or act

J’adoube - Chess - adjust’, used when touching a piece that one does not intend to move

Je ne sais quoi—an indefinable something

Jeu de mots – a pun

Jeu d’esprit - a witty trifle

Jeunesse doree - rich fashionable young people

Joie de vivre - high spirits

Jolie laide - a fascinatingly ugly woman

Jongleur- a medieval itinerant minstrel

fait accompli - something that has been done and is past altering

famille Jaune/nolre/rose/verte - Chinese enameled porcelain predominantly

yellow/black/pink/green

faubourg - a suburb, especially of Paris

faute de mieux - for want of a better alternative

fauteuil - a kind of wooden seat in the form of an armchair with open sides and upholstered arms

faux pas - a tactless blunder or indiscretion

favela - a Brazilian shack, slum, or shanty town

felo de se — suicide

feng-shui - in Chinese mythology, a system of good and evil spirit influences which inhabit the natural features of landscapes, and must be taken account of on determining sites for houses and graves

fete champetre - an outdoor entertainment or festival

fete galante - a fete especially of the kind depicted by Watteau

feu dejole - a ceremonial salute by gunfire

fidus Achates - a devoted friend or follower

figura - a person or thing representing or symbolizing a fact etc.

figurant - (fern, figurant) a ballet dancer appearing only in a group

fille dejoie - a prostitute

fils - (added to a surname to distinguish a son from a father) the son, junior (compare PERE)

fin de siecle- characteristic of the (decadent) end of the nineteenth century.

fine champagne – old liqueur brandy

fines herbes - mixed herbs used in cooking, especially to flavor omelettes

flanerie — idling, idleness

flaneur-an idler; a lounger

force majeure - unforeseeable compulsion

frappe - iced, cooled

fritto misto - a mixed grill

garcon - a waiter in a French restaurant, hotel, etc

gastarbeiter - a foreign worker in Germany

gasthaus - a small inn or hotel in German-speaking countries

gasthof- a German hotel, usually larger than a guesthouse

gemutlich - pleasant and comfortable; genial, agreeable

giaour-derog. Or literary a non-muslim, especially a Christian

gite - a furnished holiday house in France, usually small and in the country

gleichschaltung - the standardization of political, economic, and social institutions in

authoritarian states

grande dame - a dignified lady of high rank

grand mal - a serious form of epilepsy

grand monde - fashionable society

grand siecle - the seventeenth century in France

gran turismo-a touring car, with plenty of room for passengers and luggage.

‘   gratine - cooked au gratin

gravitas – solemn demeanor, seriousness

echt – authentic, genuine

eclaircissement – an enlightening explanation of something hitherto inexplicable (e.g. conduct etc.)

edition princes - the first printed edition

elusdem generic - of the same kind

embarrass de choix, embarrass de richesse(s) - more choices than one needs

eminence grise — someone who exercises power without holding office

en bloc -in a block, wholesale

en brose - (of hair) cut short and bristly

en cabochon - (of a gem) polished but not faceted

en clair- (of a message) in ordinary language; not in code

en effet-in fact, indeed

en famille - at home, with one’s family

enfant fate — a spoilt child

enfant terrible - an embarrassingly indiscreet or unruly person

en fete - celebrating a holiday

engage — (of a writer etc.) morally committed

en masse – all together

en passant- by the way, chess used of the permitted capture of an opponent’s pawn in certain

circumstances

en pension - as a boarder or resident

en priso - (of chess piece) exposed to capture

en rapport— in harmony

entente cordlale - a friendly understanding between States

entrain - enthusiasm, animation

entrechat—a leap in ballet, with one or more crossings of the legs while in the air

entremets - a sweet dish; any light dish served between two courses

entre nous – between you and me

esprit- wit

esprit de corps - proud devotion to one’s group

esprit de I’escalier - a clever remark that comes to mind too late

estamlnet - a small French cafe etc. selling alcoholic drinks

ex cathedra - (especially of a papal pronouncement) with full authority

exeunt omnes - all leave the stage

ex gratia -as a favor rather than from obligation

ex hypothesi - according to the hypothesis proposed

ex-llbris — (on a bookplate) among the books of

ex nlhllo - out of nothing

ex offlcio - by virtue of one’s office

ex post facto - with retrospective action or force

ex sllentlo - by the absence of contrary evidence