Fait Accompli - Found Only in English

Found Only in English

aide-de-camp

"camp assistant"; in the army, a military assistant to a senior military officer (heads of State are considered military officers because of their status as head of the army). In Canada, it may also refer to the honorary position a person holds as a personal assistant to a high civil servant. It is written "aide de camp" (without any hyphens) in French.

après-garde

Avant-garde's antonym. French (and most English) speakers use arrière-garde (either in a military or artistic context).

cinquefoil

five-petal, five-leaf flower of the genus Potentilla, family Rosaceae; also a circular 5-lobed ornamental design. Spelt quintefeuille in French.

cri de cœur

"cry from the heart": an impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest. In French, the exact expression is "cri du cœur".

demimonde

a class of women of ill repute; a fringe group or subculture. Fell out of use in the French language in the 19th century. Frenchmen still use "une demi-mondaine" to qualify a woman that lives (exclusively or partially) of the commerce of her charms but in a high-life style.

Double entendre

a figure of speech wherein a word or phrases can be taken to have two distinct coherent meanings, most often in a fashion that is suggestive and/or ironic. The phrase has its etymological origins in French - 'double' having the same meaning in both languages and 'entendre' meaning "to hear"; however the English phrase is grammatically incorrect and is a corruption of the original French phrase "à double entente", meaning a double understanding or double interpretation (literally, "with a double hearing"). The modern French rendering is "double sens" and the English phrase is more or less insensible.

homage

term used for films that are influenced by other films, in particular by the works of a notable director. French word is written "hommage," and is used for all shows of admiration, respect, or in a close sense for dedication of an artwork to another.

in lieu (of)

"in place (of)": a hybrid phrase, partially translated from the existing French phrase au lieu.

léger de main

"light of hand": sleight of hand, usually in the context of deception or the art of stage magic tricks. Means nothing in French and has no equivalent.

maître d'

translates as master o'. Francophones would say maître d'hôtel (head waiter) instead (French never uses "d'" alone).

negligee

A robe or a dressing gown, usually of sheer or soft fabric for women. French uses négligé (masculine form, with accents) or nuisette. Négligée qualifies a woman who neglects her appearance.

pièce de résistance

the best; the main meal, literally "a piece that resists." Francophones use plat de résistance (main dish).

Rouge

literally "red" in Canadian football, awarded when the ball is kicked into the end zone by any legal means, other than a successful field goal, and the receiving team does not return, or kick, the ball out of its end zone.

succès de scandale

Success through scandal; Francophones might use «succès par médisance».

voir dire

a trial within a trial, or (in America) jury selection (Law French). Literally "to speak the truth." (Anglo-Norman voir is etymologically unrelated to the modern French voir .) In modern American court procedure, the examination of prospective jurors for their qualification to serve, including inherent biases, views and predelictions; during this examination, each prospective juror must "speak the truth" so that counsel and the court may decide whether they should remain on the jury or be excused. In England and Wales, the expression is used to refer to a "trial within a trial," during which a judge hears evidence in the absence of the jury, typically to decide whether a certain piece of evidence should be allowed to be presented to the jury or not. For example, a judge might hold a "voir dire" to determine whether a confession has been extracted from a defendant by an unfair inducement in order to decide whether the jury should hear evidence of the confession or not.