The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (9 page)

aubade (Obahd) FRENCH [Old Provencal aubada, auba dawn] noun a
piece of music or a poem celebrating the dawn or written to be performed at daybreak: "His series of
aubades are now considered among his
finest poems."

auberge (Obairzh) FRENCH [shelter,
Provencal alberga lodging] noun a
French inn or tavern: "I have no goal.
When I am weary I stop at some / auberge;
/ when I am rested Igo on again" (Robert Service, Ballads of a Bohemian,
1920).

au beurre (O ber) FRENCH [with butter] adjective phrase (in French cuisine) cooked in butter.

A.U.C. See AB URBE CONDITA.

au contraire (O kontrair) FRENCH [to
the contrary] adverb phrase on the
contrary: "The suave young man shook
his head and murmured, Au contraire, my
dear fellow, au contraire."'

au courant (O koorori ) FRENCH
[in the current] adjective phrase upto-date, well-informed, conversant,
abreast, cognizant: "The senator has been
kept au courant with events ever since the
crisis started."

audio (odeeO) LATIN [I hear, from
audire to hear] adjective of or relating
to the broadcasting or reproduction
of sound: "We were listening to audio
clips from our favorite sitcom." noun
the broadcasting or reproduction of
sound: "Ifound a website that offers Russian tuition with audio."

auditor (oditar) LATIN [hearer, auditus
act of hearing, audire to hear] noun a
person who has the authority to examine and verify financial accounts,
or more generally any person who
hears or listens: "I was an involuntary
spectator and auditor of whatever was done
and said in the kitchen of the adjacent
village inn -a wholly new and rare experience to me" (Henr), David Thoreau,
Civil Disobedience, 1849).

auditorium (odatoreeam) LATIN [lecture room, place for listeners] noun
(plural auditoriums or auditoria,
ordatoreea) the part of a theater
or other public building where the
audience sits: "But the populace, seeing in that title an allusion damaging to
Barbicane's project, broke into the auditorium, smashed the benches, and compelled
the unlucky director to alter his playbill"
(Jules Verne, From the Earth to the
Moon, 1865).

au fait (o f) FRENCH [to the point]
adjective phrase well-informed, conversant, familiar, competent, expert:
"She claimed to be au fait with the layout
of the palace."

Aufklarung (OWfklahrang) GERMAN
[clearing up] noun enlightenment
(usuall), referring specifically to the
philosophical movement called the
Enlightenment that swept European
culture during the 18th century):
"Indeed there would have been something
peculiarly fitting in the idea that the
boy-actor, whose beauty had been so vital
an element in the realism and romance of
Shakespeare's art, should have been the first

to have brought to Germany the seed of the
new culture, and was in his way the precursor of that Aujkldrung or Illumination of
the eighteenth century..." (Oscar Wilde,
LordArthur Savile's Crime, 1891).

au fond (o fori ) FRENCH [to the
bottom] adverb phrase at heart, fundamentally, basically, deep down, on
the whole.

auf Wiedersehen (owf veedarza),n)
GERMAN [till seeing again] interjection farewell! good-bye!: "Auf Wiedersehen, darling,' she called out as she
ascended the stairs."

au gratin (o grahtan, o gratan)
FRENCH [with the burnt scrapings
from the pan] adjective phrase (in
French cuisine) covered with grated
cheese or breadcrumbs and browned:
"... cauliflower au gratin."

au lait (a 14) FRENCH [with milk]
adjective phrase (in French cuisine)
prepared or served with milk: "They
finished the evening with a cafe au Tait
and a chocolate."

au naturel (o natarel, o nacharel)
FRENCH [in the natural] adverb phrase
in a natural condition, naked, bare,
plain: "The guests were shocked to see
their host appear an natural on the top
balcony."

au pair (O p&ir) FRENCH [on even
terms] noun phrase (plural au pairs, o pairz) a young man or woman
(usually of foreign nationality) who
lives with a family free of charge
in exchange for performing various
domestic duties, often so as to learn
the family's native language: "We are
hoping that the au pair will do the ironing
for us." "adjective phrase of or relating to
such an arrangement or to a person
involved in such an exchange.

au pied de la Iettre (o peea), da la
letra) FRENCH [to the foot of the
letter] adverb phrase to the letter,
literally.

au poivre (O pwahvra) FRENCH [with
pepper] adjective phrase (in French
cuisine) cooked with pepper: Steak
au poivre was the only item on the menu
that he fancied."

aura (Ora) GREEK [breeze] noun
(plural auras or aurae, ori) an
atmosphere, an emanation, a distinctive impression, character, or quality:
`Enough, then, that I not only recognized
my natural bodyfor the mere aura and effulgence of certain of the powers that made up
my spirit, but managed to compound a drug
by which these powers should be dethroned
from their supremacy, and a second form and
countenance substituted..." (Robert Louis
Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde, 1886).

au revoir (o ravwah, or ravwah)
FRENCH [till seeing again] interjection good-bye! until we meet again!

noun an expression of farewell: "They
parted with a volley of au revoirs and
shakes of the hand."

aurora (arora) LATIN [after Aurora,
Roman goddess of the dawn] noun
(plural auroras or aurorae, aroree)
dawn, or the light of dawn: "We sat in
the aurora of a sunrise which was to put
out all the stars" (Ralph Waldo Emerson,
"The Poet", 1844).

aurora australis (arora ostllis)
LATIN [southern dawn] noun phrase
the southern lights, the aurora visible
in the Southern Hemisphere.

aurora borealis (arora boreealis)
LATIN [northern dawn, coined by
French physicist and philosopher
Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655)] noun
phrase the northern lights, the aurora
visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

au serleux (o sereea) FRENCH [with
seriousness] adverb phrase seriously.

auspices (ospasaz, ospaseez) LATIN
[plural of auspex diviner by birds, from
avis bird and specere to look at] plural
noun patronage, guidance: "The idea
of her being indebted to Mrs Elton for what
was called an introduction of her going
into public under the auspices of a friend of
Mrs Elton's probably some vulgar, dashing widow, who, with the help of a boarder,
just made a shift to live!" (Jane Austen,
Emma, 1815).

auteur (oter) FRENCH [author] noun
a film director whose influence over
the filmmaking process is such that
he is effectively also the author of the
piece: "Like other auteurs of his generation, he rewrote screenplays to the extent
that they were barely recognizable as anything but his own work."

auto- (oto) GREEK [from autos self,
same] prefix self, e.g., autobiography;
also automatic, e.g., autopilot.

autobahn (otobahn) GERMAN [expressway, Auto car and Bohn road]
noun (plural autobahns or autobahnen, otobahnan) an expressway in
a German-speaking country: "German autobahns are generally easier on
the driver than expressways elsewhere in
Europe."

auto-da-fe (oto-644, owto-6-f4)
PORTUGUESE [act of faith] noun (plural autos-da-f&, owtoz da f) the
pronouncement of judgment upon
heretics by the Inquisition, followed
by their public execution.

automaton (ortom3t3n) GREEK
[automatos self-acting] noun (plural
automatons or automata, ortomata)
a robot, a self-operating mechanical
device, a person who acts in an involuntary, machinelike way: "Mason! the
West Indies!' he said, in the tone one might
fancy a speaking automaton to enounce its
single words; Mason! the West Indies!'

he reiterated..." (Charlotte Bronte, Jane
Eyre, 1847).

automobile (ortamabeel) FRENCH
[from Greek auto self and Latin mobile
movable] noun a motor vehicle: "This
is the age of the automobile."

autoroute (ortoroot) FRENCH [car
route, automobile car and route route]
noun an expressway in a Frenchspeaking country.

autostrada (ortostrahda) ITALIAN [car
street, automobile car and strada
street] noun (plural autostradas
or autostrade (ortostrahday) an
expressway in an Italian-speaking
country.

autres temps, autres moeurs (otra
ton otra mer) FRENCH [other
times, other customs] interjection
one should change one's behavior to
suit one's environment or circumstances.

avalanche (avalanch) FRENCH [alpine
French dialect lavanche a mountainside
snowfall, from avaler to go down]
noun a sudden rush, flood, or fall of
something (originally a fall of snow,
rock, or earth down a mountainside):
`Polly was startled on entering the Shows'
door, by Maud, who came tumbling down
stairs, sending an avalanche of words before
her.. " (Louisa May Alcott, An OldFashioned Girl, 1870).

avant-garde (avon(g)-gard, avontgard) FRENCH [vanguard] noun (plural
avant-garden) those pioneers who
are in the forefront of a particular
field or movement, typically courting controversy with their unorthodox
methods and progressive views. -adjective of or relating to those who are at
the forefront of a particular field or
movement: "Such avant-garde thinking
has caused uproar in the halls of academe."

avanti (dvantee) ITALIAN [before]
interjection forward! first: Avanti!
Yes! That is all cares for. To be first somewhere-somehow to be first with these
English" (Joseph Conrad, Nostromo,
1904).

avatar (avatahr) SANSKRIT [avatara
descent, avatari he descends] noun
the incarnation of a Hindu god in
earthly form and by extension the
embodiment of any idea or philosophical concept; can also refer to a new
phase in a person's or other entity's
existence: "..and honest Alan, who was
a grim old fire-eater in his day has in this
new avatar no more desperate purpose than
to steal some young gentleman's attention
from his Ovid, carry him awhile into the
Highlands and the last century, and pack
him to bed with some engaging images to
mingle with his dreams" (Robert Louis
Stevenson, Kidnapped, 1886). It can
also refer to an image, either static or
animated, used to represent an Internet user, as on a forum.

ave (ahvay) LATIN [hail] interjection
hail! farewell! welcome!

ave atque vale (ahvay atkwee vahlay)
LATIN [hail and farewell] interjection
hello and good-bye!

aver plaisir (avek playzeer) FRENCH
[with pleasure] adverb phrase with
pleasure: "The man smiled when he
received the order to kill his rival. Avec
plaisir,' he replied, with a smirk."

ave Maria (ahvay mareca) LATIN [hail
Mary] noun phrase hail Mary (the
opening words of a prayer to the Virgin Mary).

Avesta (avesta) PERSIAN [from apastdk
hymns of praise] noun the sacred
Scriptures of Zoroastrianism.

avoirdupois (avarda~0y'/.) FRENCH [to
have weight, Old French avoir de
pois goods sold by weight] noun a
series of units of weight based on a
pound of 16 ounces: 'Janet is a dear
soul and very nice looking; tall, but not
over-tall; stoutish, yet with a certain
restraint of outline suggestive of a thrifty
soul who is not going to be overlavish
even in the matter of avoirdupois" (Lucy
Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island,
1915).

a votre sante (a votra sonty) FRENCH
[to your health] interjection to your
health! (a drinking toast).

ayatollah (Iatola) PERSIAN [ayatullah
sign of God, from Arabic aya sign
and allah God] noun a leader of the
Muslim Shiite religion in Iran; also
used more generally of any person
of influence or power: "The ayatollahs
have ruled that all international contact
must be subject to their scrutiny."

Ayurveda (ah),oorv4d5) SANSKRIT
[knowledge of long life, from ayus life
and veda knowledge] noun a traditional Hindu medical system, which
is based on the belief that good health
stems from a balance of energies,
and which uses diet, herbal medicine,
yoga, and meditation.

baas (bahs) DUTCH [master] noun
master, boss (especially in former use
by black employees of white Europeans in South Africa): "`Baas,' he gasped,
`Baas, how did you know?"I knew,'I replied
grandly, `in the same way that I know
everything. Show me the diamond"' (H.
Rider Haggard, Finished, 1917).

babu (bahboo), baboo HINDI [father]
noun a courtesy title addressed to
Hindu gentlemen, or to Hindu clerks
who speak English (or derogatively
of Hindus who have only superficial
knowledge of English): "He had the
noise of the Bay of Bengal and a Bengali
Babu for company; nothing more." (Rudyard Kipling, "His Chance in Life,"
1887).

babushka (babooshka) RUSSIAN [grandmother, baba old woman] noun an old
Russian woman, or a triangular folded
headscarf of the sort typically worn
by such women: "Ivan's daughter-in-law
replied: `You see, babushka, my hen flew into
your yard this morning. Did she not lay an
egg there?"' (Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer
Sonata, 1889).