The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (71 page)

suttee (sutee, sutee) SANSKRIT [from
sati faithful wife, from sat good] noun
the Hindu tradition that a man's wife
should willingly throw herself onto
the funeral pyre of her husband when
he is cremated; may also refer to a
woman who immolates herself in this
way: "The family expected that his widow
would commit suttee in the time-honored
manner, but when the fire was lit she was
nowhere to be found."

suum cuique (sooam kweekway)
LATIN [to each one's own] noun phrase
to each his due, to each his own.

S.V. See SUB VOCE.

svelte (welt) ITALIAN [svelto plucked,
past participle of svellere to pluck out]
adjective slender, lithe, sleek; may
also refer to a person who is noted for
his or her urbanity or suavity.

S.V.P See S'IL vows PLAIT.

swami (swahmee) HINDI [from Sanskrit svamin master, lord] noun a
Hindu mystic or religious teacher.

swastika (swostikS) SANSKRIT [from
svasti well-being] noun a form of a
cross of ancient origin with all four
arms extended at right angles in a
clockwise direction (originally a symbol of good luck but now reviled as a
symbol of Nazi Germany in the 1930s
and 1940s).

symbiosis (simbeeosas, simbiosas)
GREEK [symbioun to live together]
noun (plural symbioses, simbeeoseez,
simbioseez) a cooperative relationship between two dissimilar organisms
(or persons, communities, or organizations) from which both parties gain
some advantage: "The two species benet from the symbiosis that exist between
them one getting food and the other,
protection."

sympathique (simpateek) FRENCH
[sympathetique] adjective agreeable,
likeable, suitable (of a person, place,
or situation): "The old lady found her
nephew very sympathique and promised
herself she would leave him some money
in her will."

symposium (simp zeeam) GREEK
[symposion, from sympinein to drink

together] noun (plural symposiums
or symposia, simp.zeeh) a formal meeting or conference during
which speeches are made and ideas
exchanged on a particular subject or
group of subjects; may also refer to a
publication comprising a collection
of essays or papers on a particular
subject.

syncope (sinkapee) GREEK [from
sunkope cutting up] noun (in medicine) a temporary loss of consciousness, caused by a sudden fall in blood
pressure, a faint.

synopsis (sSntsis) GREEK [comprehensive view, from synopsesthai to be
going to see together] noun (plural
synopses, sSnopseez) an abstract,
outline, or condensed summary of a
narrative, treatise, or plot: "She sent
the publisher a synopsis of her new novel
but did not get an immediate reply."

synthesis (sinthasis) GREEK [sytithenai to put together] noun (sinthaseez)
the combination or joining together
of separate parts or elements into a
coherent whole.

systole (sistalee) GREEK [from sustellein to contract] noun the contraction of the heart, during which the
heart muscle contracts and pumps
blood into the arteries, as opposed to
diastole.

t. See TEMPORE.

tabbouleh (tabuulee, tabuula), tabouleh ARABIC [from tabbula] noun a
salad dish, originating in the Lebanon,
made of bulgur wheat, tomatoes, scallions, mint, parsley, lemon juice, and
seasoning.

tabla (tahbla) HINDI [from Arabic tabl
drum] noun a North Indian percussion instrument consisting of a pair of
small drums played with the hands.

tableau (tablo, tablo) FRENCH [picture]
noun (plural tableaus or tableaux) a
picture or a striking grouping of figures
in a picture, on the stage, or elsewhere:
"One of her hands was stretched towards him
involuntarily, and it was in that attitude
that he long remembered her . . . one hand
out-stretched like that of a figure in a tableau.. (Booth Tarkington, Conquest of
Canaan, 1905).

tableau vivant(tablo veevon )
FRENCH [living picture] noun phrase
(plural tableaux vivants) a group ing of one or more motionless, posed,
silent figures upon a stage (often
depicting some scene from literature
or legend): "Young men flocked to see
the scandalous tableaux vivants staged
there, ogling at nude models arranged in
classical scenes."

table d'hote (tahbal dot) FRENCH
[host's table] noun phrase (plural tables
d'hote) a meal of several courses
served to guests at a hotel or other
eating place at a fixed price (and sometimes also at a fixed time).

taboo (taboo), tabu TONGAN [from
tabu] noun a social convention or
other prohibition against saying or
doing something (originally because
of fear of punishment by the supernatural): "That evening she decided to
break the family taboo against speaking
one's mind." -adjective of or relating to something that is considered forbidden, banned, or socially
improper.

tabouleh See TABBOULEH.

tabula rasa (tabyala rahza, tab),ala
rahsa) LATIN [scraped tablet] noun
phrase (plural tabulae rasae, tabyali
rahzi, tabyali rahsi) a tablet from
which written symbols have been
scraped away and thus, by extension, a blank mind or anything in
a pristine state: "if one once allows
the possibility of making all the past a
tabula rasa-no property, no family
then labor would organize itself. But you
have nothing..." (Leo Tolstoy, Anna
Karenina, 1874-76).

tacet (tahket, tyset, taset) LATIN [is
silent, from tacere to be silent] adverb
(in music) be silent (instruction to a
player to remain silent during a particular passage). -noun silence, pause.

tacit (tasit) LATIN [from tacitus silent]
adjective silent, expressed without
words or speech, implied, inferred,
understood: "She seemed to shrink from
the tacit condemnation of Rosamond's
opinion which such a confidence on her
part would have implied." (Wilkie Collins, "After Dark," 1856).

taco (tahk) SPANISH noun (in Mexican cuisine) a fried tortilla rolled and
filled with seasoned meat, cheese,
beans, and other ingredients.

taedium vitae (teedeeam vitee,
tldeedm weep) LATIN [weariness of
life] noun phrase weariness of life,
loathing of life, suicidal boredom:
"...as Domitian, had wandered through a corridor lined with marble mirrors, looking
round with haggard eyes for the reflection
of the dagger that was to end his days, and
sick with that ennui, that terrible taedium
vitae, that comes on those to whom life
denies nothing ..." (Oscar Wilde, The
Picture of Dorian Gray, 1890).

tae kwon do (ti kwon do, ti kwon do)
KOREAN [art of hand and foot fighting, from t'ae to trample, kwon fist,
and to way] noun phrase a martial art
similar to karate (of Korean origin).

tagine See TAJINE.

tagliatelle (talyatelay) ITALIAN [from
tagliare to cut] noun fettucine, a
variety of pasta shaped into narrow
strips.

tahini (taheenee) ARABIC [from tahana
to grind] noun a smooth sesame-seed
paste, originating in the Middle East,
used to make hummus.

tai chi (ti chee), t'ai chi CHINESE [abbreviated from tai chi chuan extreme limit
boxing] noun phrase ancient Chinese
system of meditative exercise.

taiga (tiga) RUSSIAN [from Mongolian
taiga] noun an area of swampy coniferous forest (usually referring to the
area between the steppes and tundra
of Siberia): "The wildlife of the taiga
has only recently attracted the attention of
documentary filmmakers."

taipan (tipan) CHINESE [from Cantonese dialect daaihbdan] noun a
foreigner who is the head of a large
business firm in China or in a Chinesespeaking country.

tajine (tazheen), tagine FRENCH [from
Arabic tajin frying pan] noun a shallow circular cooking pot made of
heavy clay and with a conical lid,
used in North African cooking; a
stew made with meat, vegetables,
and spices, cooked in such a pot.

tallith (tahlas, talat, talath), tallis
HEBREW [cover, cloak] noun (plural
talliths or tallithim) a shawl with
fringed corners worn over the shoulders by Jewish men during morning
prayers.

Talmud (tahlmad, talmad) HEBREW
[from talmudh instruction] noun the
central texts of Jewish tradition, comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara:
"But it was written in the Talmud
that you should involve yourself in the
inscrutable and gloomy Fate which it is my
mission to accomplish, and which wreathes
itself e'en now about in temples"
(Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit,
1843).

Tamagotchi (tamagochee) JAPANESE
[lovable egg] noun trade name for a
type of electronic toy programmed to
imitate the demands and behavior of a
pet animal.

tamale (tamahlee) SPANISH [from
Mexican Spanish tamal, from Nahuatl
tamalli steamed cornmeal dough]
noun (in Mexican cuisine) a dish
of seasoned ground meat rolled and
steamed in cornmeal dough and corn
husks.

tamari (tamahree) JAPANESE noun a
kind of rich dark-colored soy sauce
made without wheat.

tandoori (tandooree) HINDI [from
tandur tandoor oven] adjective (in
Indian cuisine) of or relating to a dish
cooked over charcoal in a tandoor (a
cylindrical clay oven): "We ate some
delicious chicken tandoori, followed by ice
cream and coffee." -noun a dish cooked
over charcoal in a tandoor (a c),lindrical clay oven).

tango (tango) SPANISH [possibly of
African origin] noun a syncopated
Latin American ballroom dance, or
music written to accompany it: "His
attempts to dance the tango provoked
laughter at the tables." -verb to perform
such a dance.

tanka (tanka) JAPANESE [short song]
noun (plural tanka or tankas) a
Japanese verse form marking an
occasion.

tant mieux (ton(g) my) FRENCH [so
much better] interjection so much
the better: "I have bundled together this
manuscript, and have added to it a few more verses, written in hospitals. Let it
represent me. If I can find a publisher for
it, tant mieux. If not, I will print it at my
own cost ..." (Robert Service, Ballads of
a Bohemian, 1920).

tanto (tanto) ITALIAN [so much,
from Latin tantum so much] adverb
(in music) so, so much.

tant pis (ton(g) ee) FRENCH [SO
much worse] interjection so much
the worse: "`rant pis!'said her Ladyship,
'I hope it may do her good!' Then, in a
lower tone, but still loud enough for me to
hear, 'I noticed her; I am a judge of physiognomy, and in hers I see all the faults of
her class"' (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre,
1847).

tantra (tantrd) SANSKRIT [wrap] noun
an example of Buddhist or Hindu
religious writing (typically on the
subjects of mysticism, mediation, or
sexual practices).

tao (dow, tow) CHINESE [way, path]
noun (in Taoist philosophy) the
guiding principle of all reality, as
evidenced by the processes of nature,
and the path of virtuous conduct an
individual should follow in order to
achieve harmony with the universe.

Taoiseach (teesak, teesakh) IRISH
GAELIC [chief or leader] noun the
Prime Minister of the Republic of
Ireland.

tapas (tapas) SPANISH [plural of tapa
cover] plural noun hors d'oeuvres,
appetizing snacks (as served with
drinks in Spanish bars).

taramasalata (tardmasdlahtd) GREEK
[from taramas preserved roe and salata
salad] noun (in Greek cuisine) a dish
of pink-colored creamy paste made
from the smoked roe of gray mullet
or cod combined with olive oil, lemon
juice, and garlic.

tarantella (tarantela), tarantelle ITALIAN [after Taranto, Italy] noun a
lively Italian folk dance traditionally
believed to be effective as a cure for
the bite of a tarantula spider, or music
written to accompany it.

tarboosh (tahboosh), tarbush, tarbouche ARABIC [from Turkish tarbus,
itself from Persian sarpus, from sar
head and pus cover] noun a tasselled
red felt hat resembling a fez widely
worn by Muslim men (sometimes
as part of a turban): "Then he pushed
his way in among the crowd, a veritable
beauty of a man in the finest apparel,
wearing tarboosh and turban and a longsleeved robe pined with gold" (Richard
Burton, Arabian Nights, 1885-88).

tarot (taro) FRENCH [from Italian
tarocchi, itself of unknown origin]
noun a set of 78 playing cards used
for fortunetelling purposes. -adjective
of or relating to tarot cards.

tarte tatin (tahrt tatan ) FRENCH
[from tarte tart and Tatin after Stephanie and Caroline Tatin, who invented
it] noun phrase an upside-down apple
tart consisting of sliced apple in caramelized sugar, covered with pastry
and baked. The tart is then inverted
before serving.

tartine (tahrteen) FRENCH [from tarte
tart] noun a slice of toast served
spread with butter or jam.

tastevin (tast3von(g)) FRENCH [from
tdtevin wine-taster] noun a shallow cup
(often silver) used for tasting wines.

tatami (tatahmee) JAPANESE noun
(plural tatami or tatamis) a straw
mat used as a floor covering in Japanese homes.

Taurus (torss) LATIN [bull] noun (in
astronomy) the Bull, a large constellation in the northern hemisphere,
near Orion; (in astrology) the second
sign of the zodiac, occurring between
Aries and Gemini.