500 Foreign Words and Phrases You Should Know to Sound Smart (18 page)

sans-souci
(French) (SAHN soo-see) (adverb)

Carefree. Without worries.

Susie lived her entire life with a SANS-SOUCI attitude, ignoring creditors, spurned boyfriends, or anyone else that threatened to disturb her tranquility
.

Nota Bene

Frederick the Great (1712–1786), ruler of Prussia, didn’t do things by halves. In the 1740s, he built a magnificent summer palace in Potsdam near Berlin and named it Sanssouci. Although small by the standards of the time, it was roomy enough that Frederick didn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone. The goal of the architect seems to have been to design a building that minimized such problems as damp and heating, making it a palace literally “without cares.”

Sauve qui peut!
(French) (sohv kee PU) (phrase)

Save yourself. Generally this is in reference to a state of panic. Literally, “save who you can.”

French passengers aboard the
Titanic
were screaming SAUVE QUI PEUT as the ship went down
.

savoir-faire
(French) (SAH-vwahr FAIR) (noun)

Instinctive expertise. Literally, “to know to do.” As well, it can imply the ability to say or do just the right thing.

Maria had great SAVOIR-FAIRE with computers and carried it off with such conviction that everyone was instantly convinced of her expertise
.

Schadenfreude
(German) (SHAH-den-froid-eh) (noun)

Getting kicks out of the misery of others. Literally, “damage joy.” A delightfully German word—who else but the Germans would have thought up something like this? The implication of the expression is that some measure of poetic justice is being served.

The arsonist experienced SCHADENFREUDE while watching the house burn, its inhabitants huddling miserably watching. It was fitting, since they had previously destroyed his home
.

schlemiel
(Yiddish) (shle-MEEL) (noun)

A perpetually clumsy person. A bungler and a dolt.

Alison is a real SCHLEMIEL, because she broke the same ankle four times. And in the same place, too
.

schlep
(Yiddish and German) (shlep) (verb)

Carry or drag. The usual implication is that the object is unreasonably burdensome.

I had to SCHLEP a ten-pound art history textbook all over campus. Now my back is killing me
.

schmaltz
(Yiddish) (SHMALTZ) (noun)

Melted chicken fat; also overly sentimental

If you want to make matzo ball soup properly, use SCHMALTZ as well as matzo. Afterward, you can sit in the living room and watch a chick flick that’s full of SCHMALTZ
.

Nota Bene

Yiddish is not, as some people think, the language of all Jews. Instead, it is a fusion of High German with various dialects and languages, as well as Hebrew. It began in central Europe in the Ashkenazi culture and spread outward. In New York during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century it was the lingua franca of Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe who crowded the slums of Lower Manhattan.

schmeer
(also schmear, shmeer, and shmear) (Yiddish) (SHMEER) (noun)

A spread, usually for bagels.

An onion bagel is really good with a cream cheese and chive SCHMEER
.

Nota Bene

Bagels, despite many conflicting stories about their origins, are originally Polish, invented in the early seventeenth century. The true bagel is a ring of dough, first boiled in water and then baked to give it a hard crust and a chewy interior. Real bagels are often topped with poppy seeds and flavored with onions or garlic. Fake bagels (notably most of those made in pretentious little boutiques on the West Coast) are flavored with such abominations as sun-dried tomatoes and pulverized artichoke hearts. As any East Coast native will attest, the best bagels are found in New York. No contest.

schmo
(Unknown) (shmoh) (noun)

A jerk. A variant of
schmuck
.

Most of us try to avoid Dennis, since he’s a real SCHMO
.

schmuck
(Yiddish) (shmuk) (noun)

Derogatory term for an individual. Literally, “penis.” The comedian Lenny Bruce (1925–1966) claimed that he was arrested for saying it on stage after an undercover Jewish police officer determined that the meaning of the Yiddish term was obscene. (A comment on the state of entertainment in the 1960s, as opposed to now, when calling someone a schmuck on stage would be considered hopelessly old-fashioned and polite.)

Don’t be such a SCHMUCK about sharing your cupcakes
.

Schweinhund
(German) (SHVINE-hoont) (noun)

Extremely offensive term for an individual. Literally, a “pig dog.” The English translation (“pig dog”) pops up in a completely unlikely context in the mouths of French soldiers in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

You stole my seat at the cafeteria, you SCHWEINHUND! I hope you’re flatulent for the rest of the day
.

scire quod sciendum
(Latin) (SKEE-rah kwod skee-EN-doom) (phrase)

To know what is worth knowing. Of course, one’s evaluation of what precisely that is depends. An engineer would claim that anything that doesn’t involve zeroes and ones is beneath his interest. We, on the other hand, coming from the humanities, believe that the full range of human artistic expression is a worthy subject of study—with the possible exception of the music of John Mayer.

Most professors claim a SCIRE QUOD SCIENDUM in their respective fields
.

Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet
(Latin) (SAY-deet kwee TI-moo-it nay non su-KAY-der-et) (phrase)

“He who feared he would not succeed sat still.” A quotation from the Roman poet Horace (65
B.C.
–8
B.C.
). Broadly, if you do nothing, you’ll achieve nothing. This should be writ large on the diploma of every graduating senior.

semper fidelis
(Latin) (SEM-per fee-DAY-lis) (adv.)

Always faithful.

The motto of the United States Marine Corps is SEMPER FIDELIS, often abbreviated as Semper Fi
.

shiksa
(Yiddish and Polish) (SHIK-sah) (noun)

A Gentile, or non-Jewish, woman

Morrie’s mother became very upset when she discovered he was dating a SHIKSA
.

shtick
(Yiddish) (shtik) (noun)

A theme or a gimmick, often referring to comedy routines.

The comedy act of Stiller and Meara was known for the Irish girl marries Jewish guy SHTICK. Their son, Ben Stiller, is known for making a lot of bad movies (and a few good ones)
.

Nota Bene

One of the great gatherings of Jewish comedians was the Comedians Round Table at the Hillcrest Country Club in Beverly Hills, California. Although not everyone there was Jewish, the majority were. Regular attendees included the four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo), Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Lou Holtz, and George Jessel. According to Harpo Marx (1888–1964), it was one of the funniest places in the world, but most of what was said wasn’t printable.

sic
(Latin) (seek) (adverb)

Literally, “thus.” Used generally within quotations to indicate that an error within the quoted words appeared that way in the original version.

Marge wrote, “I think the Red Sox didn’t live up to they’re[SIC] potential this year.”

Sic transit gloria mundi
(Latin) (sik TRAN-zit GLOH-ree-ah MOON-dee) (phrase)

Thus the glory of the world passes. Nothing lasts forever. The phrase is apparently an adaptation of words by Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471) in his book,
The Imitation of Christ
. It implies the end of something wonderful

Looking out over the ruins of the Waterloo battlefield, and thinking back on the glory that was the French Empire, Napoleon is said to have observed, “SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI.”

Sic vita est
(Latin) (sik WEE-tah est) (phrase)

Such is life. An appropriate world view to take when it’s Friday evening, you’ve got no place to go, and your entire paycheck has been eaten up by the rent that’s due next week.

In times of stress, one should keep in mind SIC VITA EST and struggle on
.

sine qua non
(Latin) (SEE-nay kwa NON) (phrase)

Something that is absolutely necessary. Literally, “that without which.”

Talent is SINE QUA NON for success in show business. Well, on the other hand, there are the Kardashians, so I suppose anything’s possible these days
.

soi-disant
(French) (SWAH deez-OHN) (adjective)

Self-named. The phrase normally carries a note of disbelief and derision.

The SOI-DISANT lawyer defending the murderer turned out to have failed the bar exam
.

soignée
(French) (SWAHN-yay) (adjective)

Elegant. Feminine form of
soigné
, carrying with it the connotation of something beyond the ordinary.

Jacqueline Kennedy was considered to be very SOIGNÉE. Some other first ladies, however, look as if they’d been dragged through a hedge backward, and Mary Todd Lincoln shows that some women just shouldn’t ever wear purple
.

soirée
(French) (SWAH-ray) (noun)

A party, generally held in the evening, since the root word is
soir
(evening). This is the sort of affair that may provide a perfect opportunity to use some of the words and phrases contained in this book.

Marcus’s New Year’s SOIRÉE was the social event of the year
.

sola gratia
(Latin) (SOH-lah GRAH-tee-ah) (phrase)

By grace alone. A central doctrine associated with the Reformation of the sixteenth century.

The Reformers believed that you could get to heaven SOLA GRATIA
.

Nota Bene

The Protestant Reformation covers a variety of events and activities that, during the sixteenth century, split the Catholic Church and eventually delivered much of Northern Europe to the forces of Protestantism. Insofar as it has a starting point, it’s generally considered to be October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther (1483–1546) wrote to his bishop protesting the sale of indulgences by a member of the church. (Popular legend says that Luther nailed 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, but this may well have no basis in fact.)

Solvitur ambulando
(Latin) (SAHL-wi-tur ahm-bu-LAHN-doh) (phrase)

Literally, “It is solved by walking.” More generally, a dilemma can be solved through practice and experimentation.

I’m not sure whether, at this distance, I can hit that old lady with a coconut, but SOLVITUR AMBULANDO. I’ll just have to try and see what happens
.

sotto voce
(Italian) (SOH-toh VO-chee) (adv.)

In a soft voice. Quietly.

Bedtime stories are often read SOTTO VOCE so as not to disturb the child once she falls asleep. Of course, the minute you get up to leave the room, she wakes up again
.

soupçon
(French) (SOOP-son) (noun)

A tiny bit. A morsel.

Arthur liked to add a SOUPÇON of truffle oil to his mashed potatoes to give them that special taste that only true gourmands can appreciate
.

Sturm und Drang
(German) (SHTURM und DRAHNG) (phrase)

Storm and stress. The name given to a school of German literature in the late eighteenth century, focusing on individual subjectivity and extreme emotional expression. For this reason, it is usually seen as a precursor of the Romantic movement in the nineteenth century. The most prominent figures associated with it were Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) in works such as
The Sorrows of Young Werther
and Friedrich von Schiller (1759–1805). Both men later broke from the movement.

The younger generation of Romantic poets were known for STURM UND DRANG in both their lives and their work
.

sui generis
(Latin) (SOO-wee GEN-air-is) (adjective)

In a class by itself. Unique.

Vincent van Gogh’s paintings were SUI GENERIS, even compared with those of his post impressionist contemporaries
.

summa cum laude
(Latin) (SOO-mah koom LOW-day) (phrase)

With highest honors. The best possible way to graduate from college (see
cum laude
and
magna cum laude
).

Alicia graduated SUMMA CUM LAUDE from Princeton. Today she’s waiting tables while hoping something opens up for a theater history major
.

Nota Bene

Universities first arose during the twelfth century in western Europe. Among the earliest were the University of Paris and the University of Bologna. The following century saw the founding of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England and in the fifteenth century, the University of St. Andrews. Students studied the
trivium
(grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the
quadrivium
(arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy). Gradually, various schools within the universities became established, leading to more or less the structure we have today.