500 Foreign Words and Phrases You Should Know to Sound Smart (12 page)

At the party last weekend, I told Mary about the affair her husband was having; but I don’t think I’m IPSO FACTO responsible for her subsequently breaking a full bottle of champagne over his head
.

ius primae noctis
(Latin) (YUS PREE-meye NOK-teess) (phrase)

Literally, “the right of first night.” This refers to the right, during the Middle Ages, of the Lord of the Manor to take the virginity of a new bride of a peasant living on his land. It’s not clear how much this “right” was actually exercised—some historians dismiss it as entirely legendary. In actual fact, the relationship between lord and peasant was a highly complex array of rights and responsibilities on both sides.
Ius primae noctis
is also sometimes referred to as the
droit du seigneur
.

“Into the face of the young man who sat on the terrace of the Hotel Magnifique at Cannes there had crept a look of furtive shame, the shifty hangdog look which announces that an Englishman is about to talk French.”

—P. G. Wodehouse

J

J’accuse
(French) (ZHAH-kooz) (interjection)

I accuse! This was the title of a famous declaration of the French writer Émile Zola (1840–1902), published on January 13, 1898, declaring his support for Alfred Dreyfus (1859–1935), a French military captain accused of treason. Zola landed in hot water with the government over his declaration and, after being convicted of criminal libel, was forced to flee to England.

Nota Bene

The Dreyfus case, or, as it became known in France, “
l’Affaire
,” was the most notorious judicial proceedings of the nineteenth century. Although Dreyfus was accused of passing military secrets to the German government, it became clear that the French military authorities had accused him out of anti-Semitism and a desire to cover up their own incompetence. Dreyfus was convicted, sent to the penal colony of Devil’s Island, granted a new trial, convicted again, and finally, in 1906, exonerated and restored to the military.

Jawohl
(German) (yah-VOLE) (interjection)

Yes, sir! I’ll get right on that! Normally used when there’s an intention to give a military emphasis to something.

JAWOHL, madam! I’ll get right on your request for a double latte half caffe with a whisper of cinnamon. Don’t let the fact that there are twenty customers in line ahead of you stop you from yelling your order at me
.

je ne regrette rien
(French) (ZHEH ne re-GRET ree-EHN) (phrase)

I don’t regret anything. Most famous as the title of a song recorded by the great French songstress Édith Piaf (1915–1963), dedicated to the French Foreign Legion.

je ne sais pas
(French) (ZHEH ne SAY pah) (phrase)

I don’t know. The standard answer given by French 101 high school students to any question asked by their teacher. For that matter, the standard answer given by
any
students to
any
question asked by
any
teacher.

You want to know what I’m thinking about? JE NE SAIS PAS. I’m just letting my mind wander
.

je ne sais quoi
(French) (ZHEH ne say KWAH) (phrase)

Literally, “I don’t know what.” Colloquially, a kind of inexpressible essence of something, beyond explanation. This is a useful way to convey someone or something’s unique character—although not necessarily a good one.

I’ve never tasted anything like this spaghetti sauce before. It has a certain JE NE SAIS QUOI about it. Probably because you added half a bottle of Wild Turkey to it at the last minute
.

jeu d’esprit
(French) (ZHOO DES-pree) (noun)

A playful spirit. A fun, carefree attitude to life, no matter the stomach-wrenching disasters that may face one.

I know your wife has left you and your dog has died, and your company has gone bankrupt and your children have filed a lawsuit against you for spending their inheritance, but I’m sure your JEU D’ESPRIT will carry you through even these difficult times
.

jeunesse dorée
(French) (ZHOO-ness dor-AY) (noun)

Wealthy young people who inhabit the upper crust of society. The French equivalent of Paris Hilton, they spend their time hanging out at clubs, summering on the French Riviera, and generally making a significant social nuisance of themselves.

The Kardashian family would like to be part of the American JEUNESSE DORÉE, but they don’t really have the class to even do that. Which is pretty pathetic, when you think about it
.

jihad
(Arabic) (zhee-HAHD) (noun)

One of the most controversial words in the world today, this term refers to the Muslim’s religious duty. The literal translation is “struggle,” but there is considerable argument, both within and without the Muslim community, over whether this struggle is inherently violent or not. Generally, the term has come to mean a religious war fought by adherents of Islam against nonbelievers.

The Taliban and Al Qaeda have conducted a JIHAD against those who disagree with their interpretation of Islam, as well as foreign powers such as the United States
.

Nota Bene

Part of the confusion over the term
jihad
lies in the fact that the Quran seems ambiguous about its meaning. The word is not used to refer to fighting in the name of Allah; nonetheless, the Prophet Mohammed and his successors were clear that Islam must be spread, if necessary through war. Though this wasn’t very different than the attitude of early Christians, who were perfectly comfortable sending crusades both against Muslims and to attack and kill heretics within their own ranks.

joie de vivre
(French) (ZHWAH de VEEV-reh) (noun)

Literally, “joy in life.” A happy attitude toward life; optimism.

My friend Melissa is always cheery, even at 6 o’clock in the frickin’ morning. She’s got so much goddamn JOIE DE VIVRE that most of her friends want to throttle her
.

“A man who knows two languages is worth two men.”

—French proverb

K

Kaffeeklatsch
(German) (KAFF-ay-KLATCH) (noun)

Coffee klatch. Informal discussion or chat. A notable example of German’s ability to string a series of words together to produce one monster word.

Every morning we gather around the office water cooler to compare notes about how unreasonable the boss was the day before. I just hope he doesn’t get word of our little KAFFEEKLATSCH
.

kamikaze
(Japanese) (KAH-mi-KAHZ-ee) (noun)

Literally, “divine wind,” this was the term for Japanese pilots who crashed their planes into Allied ships in the closing months of World War II. By extension, it has come to mean any suicide attempt in which the suicidal individual attempts to kill not only himself but as many other people as well.

Troops in Iraq have been repeatedly subject to KAMIKAZE bombers in the heart of Baghdad
.

karma
(Sanskrit) (KAR-mah) (noun)

In Hinduism, this is the notion of an action that causes a series of other actions and reactions, the whole forming a cycle. In general usage, it tends to mean something more akin to the idea that “what goes around, comes around.” In other words, you accumulate good karma or bad karma depending on your actions; this karma will eventually result in good or bad things happening to you.

I’ve been opening the door for so many people and helping so many old ladies across the street in the past two weeks that I should have picked up some really good KARMA to balance out that motorcycle I stole
.

Kinder, Kirche, Küche
(German) (KIN-der KEERK-e KOOK-e) (phrase) (several alternate versions)

Children, church, kitchen. Although this is now regarded as a reactionary idea, during the period of the rise and triumph of Nazism (1933–1945), it was regarded as the ideal expression of German womanhood. As a phrase, it predated Hitler, but the Nazis believed it perfectly summed up the role of women: to be subordinate to the family, religion, and the state.

kismet
(Turkish) (KIZ-met) (noun)

In Persian philosophy, the concept of fate. It has been used as the title of a number of films, as well as a character in the D.C. Comics universe.

KISMET has decreed that we two should meet, have dinner, go back to my house, and make out. Who are we to pit ourselves against fate?

kitsch
(German) (KITCH) (adj.)

“Art” that is vulgar and tasteless.

Nothing could be more KITSCH than the painting over your bed of Justin Bieber. Unless, of course, it was a picture of Justin Bieber made out of dried pasta. Oh… wait… sorry. I didn’t see what’s hanging on the other wall
.

klutz
(Yiddish) (KLUTZ) (noun)

A clumsy person. The original term in Yiddish meant a lumpy mass, which describes a good many
klutzes
of our acquaintance.

I don’t like to do anything involving fine-motor coordination, because I’m such a KLUTZ when it comes to making something by hand. I’m much better at stuff like football
.

Kriegspiel
(German) (KREEG-shpeel) (noun)

War game. It often refers to a variety of chess invented in 1899 (though it didn’t become widely popular). In this variant, the player can see her own pieces but can’t see those of her opponent. A referee informs her if a given move is legal or illegal. Not surprisingly, the spread of computers has increased the popularity of this game.

Kulturkampf
(German) (KUL-toor-KAHMPF) (noun)

Specifically, this term, translated as “culture struggle,” refers to the anti-Catholic campaign waged by Prussian politician Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) against the Catholic Church. More generally, it refers to any cultural conflict that has strong political overtones.

Since the 1980s, the Republican Party in the United States has waged a KULTURKAMPF over such issues as gay marriage and school textbooks. At least on the issue of gay marriage, it appears to be losing
.

Nota Bene

The issue of cultural struggle was closely linked to politics in Germany. Adolf Hitler was a violent opponent of what he regarded as “degenerate tendencies” in modern art. After his rise to power, in 1937 the Nazi government organized a display of such art to show the German people what they were fighting against. Unfortunately for the Nazis, the exhibit, which included paintings by such modern masters as Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, and Max Beckmann, drew unprecedented numbers of viewers, and the Nazis hastily closed the exhibit.

“To use two languages familiarly and without contaminating one by the other, is very difficult; and to use more than two is hardly to be hoped. The prizes which some have received for their multiplicity of languages may be sufficient to excite industry, but can hardly generate confidence.”

—Samuel Johnson

L

Labor omnia vincit
(Latin) (LAH-bor OHM-nee-ah WIN-kit) (phrase)

Hard work conquers all. From the
Georgics
by Virgil (70
B.C
–19
B.C.
), this expresses a typically Roman attitude; not that all Romans followed it in practice. In practice, what the motto really meant was, “Hard work by slaves and the Plebians conquers all so that we, the Senators and the upper class, can lie around on our couches drinking wine and eating grapes and occasionally overthrowing the emperor.”

laissez faire
(French) (LEH-say FARE) (adj.)

Literally, “leave it be.” Generally applied as an economic term, specifying a philosophy according to which the economy should be free from government control or interference, allowing market forces to work out all problems. This school of thought is most associated with Adam Smith (1723–1790) and his book
The Wealth of Nations
(1776). However, Smith did not use the phrase, and it’s doubtful that a close reading of his works would support the idea that he was a laissez-faire economist—at lease in the sense that the term is used today.

It seems to me that if the government would practice LAISSEZ FAIRE, the economy would work just fine. And if I become fabulously rich as a result, well, that’s obviously the way things were meant to be
.

lapsus linguae
(Latin) (LAP-soos LING-why) (noun)

A slip of the tongue.

I meant to say, “Let’s table the resolution,” but in a LAPSUS LINGUAE I accidentally said, “Let’s table the revolution.”

Nota Bene

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) presented the idea in his 1901 book
The Psychopathology of Everyday Life
that many slips of the tongue are, in fact, a key to understanding the unconscious mind of the speaker. Today, the term “Freudian slip” (which Freud never used) is applied to pretty much any slip of the tongue.

Lebensraum
(German) (LAY-benz-rowm) (noun)

Living space. In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) came to power in Germany by appealing to the nationalist instincts of the German people. Above all, he argued, the Germans needed
Lebensraum
, room to expand to the east into what Hitler argued were traditionally German lands such as Poland and Czechoslovakia.