by Chloe Rhodes
They’ve sent me down for five years, mate—I know, it’s scandalous. The lawyer says he might be able to get me off, though. Something to do with a habeas corpus.
Hamburger
person from Hamburg (German)
In nineteenth-century Hamburg, Germany, pounded beef patties called Hamburg steak were popular. Emigrants took it to America, and “hamburger” appeared on menus as early as 1836. By 1902 a recipe for ground beef with onions and peppers had appeared, and the modern hamburger was born. The shortening to “burger” followed and paved the way for the cheeseburger and other variations. The freedom to enjoy a hamburger, although not formally written into the Constitution, stands side by side with the most solemn American rights of man. In Cold War Berlin, President Kennedy was said to have proclaimed himself a “Berliner”—a kind of doughnut. There’s a joke in Germany that it’s lucky he wasn’t in Paris. (“Pariser” is old-fashioned German slang for “condom.”)
I’ll have the triple-decker supreme hamburger with extra onions, extra cheese, and extra bacon; a large portion of chili fries; onion rings—and a diet Coke. I’m watching my waistline.
Hara-kiri
cutting the belly (Japanese)
In feudal Japan, Samurai warriors bound by a strict code of honor would commit suicide using “hara-kiri” if they had shamed themselves or their masters or if they were captured by enemies. The practice involves a ritual self-disembowelment during which the stomach is cut from side to side; the more formal term for it is “seppuku,” though non-Samurai Japanese and Westerners have always referred to it as “hara-kiri.” We now use the word more generically to denote figurative rather than literal acts of self-destruction.
I’m sorry, Jasmine, but that was terrible. You simply can’t pick a song that’s full of notes you can’t reach on a show like this—it’s hara-kiri.
Hasta la vista
see you later (Spanish)
Until 1991 this was a relatively common, though unremarkable, Spanish phrase. It made the transition into English as a kind of slang alternative to “see you later,” but wasn’t used widely. Then came Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing the Terminator, said, “Hasta la vista, baby,” every time he was about to wipe somebody out, and for reasons that remain unclear, his delivery of the line was deemed to be so witty that it was taken up by vast swathes of the English-speaking population.
I’m sorry, Doreen. It’s been lovely getting to know you, but I must be off to new pastures—hasta la vista, baby.
Haute cuisine
high cooking (French)
High-quality food prepared in hierarchically run kitchens by the best chefs is known as “haute cuisine.” Originally the phrase referred to the highest standard of French cooking, but we now apply the term to the highest standard cuisine of any origin. Official ratings, such as the Michelin star system, have made it easier to identify haute cuisine restaurants, most of which place great emphasis on the presentation of their food, which has led those who prefer more basic cooking to regard the term with suspicion.
Is there nowhere around here that we can just get a steak and fries? I can’t stand all this haute cuisine nonsense.
Hinterland
backcountry (German)
English usage carries a resonance not present in the German usage and signifies a remote or backwoods region. “Hinterland” also refers to the area from which products are delivered to a port for shipping elsewhere. Historically, the term was applied to areas surrounding former European colonies in Africa, which, although not part of the colony, were influenced by the settlement, often without the safety and order that prevailed in (or was imposed) the colony.
The intrepid twenty-first-century celebrities bravely essayed the hinterland with camera crew and assistants in close attendance.
Hoi polloi
the many (Greek)
In ancient Greece, this term for the common populace had none of the negative connotations we give it today. It is thought to have passed to English via Pericles’s Funeral Oration, in which he praised the democratic system in Athens for giving a voice to the majority. In rather more snobbish nineteenth-century Britain, when class could be judged by whether you had been taught the classics, it gained its modern usage to describe the vulgar crowd, also known as the “great unwashed.”
Oh, for goodness’ sake, Jeremiah. Will you please get the hoi polloi out of the VIP area.
Honcho
squad leader (Japanese)
It sounds like Spanish, doesn’t it? But in fact, it comes from the Japanese word “hancho,” which has its origins in Middle Chinese. “Han” translates as “squad,” and “cho” means “chief,” which is a common suffix in Japanese for words that denote leadership— “kocho,” for example, means “school principal.” The term was brought back to the United States and the UK in the 1940s and 1950s by soldiers serving in Japan and Korea. English speakers use it as slang for “boss,” often preceded by the word “head,” which, though extraneous, does make for a pleasingly alliterative whole.
Okay, team, this is the beginning of a brave new era. You may think you know how to market paper clips, but I’m the head honcho around here now and we’ll sell them my way.
Hubris
insolence/pride (Greek)
In ancient Greek society “hubris” was considered to be the greatest of all sins. It meant a kind of terrible pride that led to violence and caused harm to others; it was seen as a direct insult to the gods. It arrived in English in the late 1800s, with its meaning only slightly watered down, to incorporate egotistical acts of vanity and exhibitions of immorality. We now use it to describe arrogance or a lack of humility, particularly when it’s likely to result in disaster.
The hubris of the man astounds me. Doesn’t he realize that at sixty-three he’s well past his horse-racing prime?
I
In camera
in the chamber (Latin)
This is a legal term that means “in private with a judge,” rather than in an open court. In general, the principal that justice must be seen to be done for it to be done at all means that courtrooms are open to reporters and the public, but there are exceptions to this rule. In the UK, when a witness’s privacy needs to be protected or when the disclosure of the case’s details could threaten national security, the case can be heard in closed chambers. A photographic camera takes its name from the same source, since its body is essentially a sealed box with a shutter.
We’ve had some threats to the jury in this case, sir, so we’d like it to be in camera.
In flagrante delicto
in the blazing offense (Latin)
This is a legal term that means that someone has been caught in the act of committing a crime. In modern English the phrase is often shortened to “in flagrante” and usually is preceded by the word “caught,” so it is interchangeable with “red-handed.” Outside the law, it is used widely to refer to the interruption of any illicit act, and through this usage it has also become a euphemism for being caught in a sexual act, even one where everything is aboveboard.
The Petersons had been rather less adventurous in their love-making since they were caught in the bushes in flagrante by the vicar and his cocker spaniel.
In loco parentis
in place of a parent (Latin)
This is a legal term that relates to someone who takes responsibility for another person’s child. Foster parents and legal guardians who have not adopted the child in their care are said to be“in loco parentis.” It is most commonly used in the school environment, where until thelate-nineteenth century, teachers shared moral responsibility for their students with the parents. It is also used in a self-referential way by parents looking after someone else’s child.
No, Daniel, you cannot have another chocolate cupcake. I’m in loco parentis today, and I know your mother wouldn’t like it.
In vino veritas
truth in wine (Latin)
The universally acknowl
edged fact that alcohol loosens the tongue had been observed as far back as ancient Rome. Pliny the Elder provided the first written reference to the phrase, describing it as a saying, so it must have been long proven even by his day. Similar sayings existed in ancient Greek and Hebrew. In modern-day English it seems more useful than ever, and it can be heard in pubs and bars across the country whenever someone breaks into a drunken rant.
Billy woke up in a cold sweat with what felt like an angry wood-pecker trapped inside his head. He was entirely naked except for a small Post-it note stuck to his chest that read ominously—in vino veritas.
In vitro
in glass (Latin)
Often used in reference to laboratory experiments carried out in test tubes or other glass vessels, the term describes the artificial environment in which a test or technique is conducted outside of a living organism. (An experiment that uses the complete organism is described as “in vivo”.) The term became instantly recognized the world over after scientists conducted the first birth of a human baby from an in vitro-fertilized human egg in 1978.
Britney never really understood in vitro fertilization—it seemed impossible to her that a baby could have enough space to grow inside one of those narrow test tubes.
Incognito
in disguise (Italian)
This Italian term for having your identity concealed or going by an assumed name comes from the Latin “incognitus,” meaning “unknown.” The term was first used in the mid-seventeenth century and was widely used in wartime when spies had to assume different identities to evade discovery. It was especially used with reference to traveling without revealing your true identity, and in modern English it is often used when celebrities give false names to keep their whereabouts secret from the media.
I’d like to check in as Mr. X please—well, YOU may not recognize me, darling, but my fans are everywhere. I’ve simply no choice but to stay incognito.
Incommunicado
cut off from communication (Spanish)
Most commonly used in the military, this Spanish word comes from “incomunicar,” which means to deny communication, and is used to describe a situation in which prisoners are held in seclusion with no way of contacting the outside world. In modern English use it can also refer to someone who is uncontactable due to work commitments or who is deliberately avoiding communication, either to protect her privacy or just to take a break.
Right, if you have any questions let me know now. In half an hour’s time I’m officially on holiday, and I intend to be incommunicado for a full two weeks.
Ipso facto
by the fact itself (Latin)
Frequently applied in the realms of philosophy, law, and science, this term is used to assert that a particular effect is undeniably the result of the action being discussed. More commonly the term is applied to demonstrate the causal links between an action and its reaction or impact. For example, if you take out a fixed-rate mortgage, ipso facto you cannot benefit from changes in interest rates. The term can also be heard in settings ranging from offices to pubs by people wishing to add a flashy credence or intellectual weight to any given point.
Look, pal, it doesn’t matter what formation the Giants play in. They’ve got O’Hara and Jacobs up front so, ipso facto, they’ll beat the Eagles.
J
Je ne sais quoi
I know not what (French)
This French phrase is always prefixed in English with “a certain” and is used to recognize a quality or characteristic that is hard to describe, yet makes the subject in question instinctively appealing. Often used to acknowledge a woman’s mystifying beauty or charisma, the phrase is also widely applied to appreciate that certain something that makes a superb plate of food so tasty or a vintage champagne so deliciously refreshing. However “a certain je ne sais quoi” is increasingly being overlooked in favor of the more mundane “X” or “wow factor.”
The herbs and spices in that fillet just simply gave the whole dish a certain je ne sais quoi.
Jezebel
wicked, blasphemous woman (Hebrew)
According to Hebrew scriptures and the Old Testament, Jezebel was a queen of ancient Israel whose patronage of a pagan religion made her none too popular with the Israelites (or the prophet Elijah). She was a scheming and manipulative woman and was eventually defenestrated by her eunuchs and eaten by dogs. Though there’s no evidence of it in the Bible, she has developed a reputation for sexual promiscuity, and we now use Jezebel as a synonym for coquette or “tart.”
Belinda smoothed down her skirt and hoisted her top up precisely two inches. She wanted to come across as a sophisticated seductress, not some sort of Jezebel.
Jodhpurs
wide-hipped trousers, fitting tightly from knee to ankle (Anglo-Indian)
In 1459 in the heart of Rajasthan in northern India, the ruler Rao Jodha founded the beautiful city of Jodhpur. Men of Rajasthan wore trousers that were ideal riding breeches, being made of a stout material with a comfortable arrangement of seams, and were thus adopted by the British during the Raj. The term “jodhpurs” then passed into English, and it is still the garment of choice for most horse-riding events and also in some military dress uniforms, although these days they are usually tight fitting.
Although Virginia has occasionally been seen in a dress, she’s happiest in jodhpurs, enjoying rides on her pony, Tristram.
Joie de vivre
joy of living (French)
Often confused with “joie de vie” (“joy of life”), “joie de vivre” is the even more positive attitude of the “joy of living.” Because of its catch-all nature, the phrase can be used to express the enjoyment of specific things, such as eating or drinking, or the more profound and comprehensive joy felt throughout one’s whole being for the simple reality of being alive. The term is also used to describe someone who has a particularly carefree attitude.
I don’t know if it was that beer I had at lunchtime, Barry, but I feel full of joie de vivre this afternoon.
Juggernaut
lord of the universe (Sanskrit)
Juggernaut, or Jagannatha, is one of many forms of Krishna, the revered Hindu deity, and is often represented as a young boy playing a flute. The Jagannath Temple in Puri, India, is famous for its annual procession of chariots carrying statues of the deities, and British visitors who witnessed the parade in the colonial era marveled at the forty-five-foot-high statues, which are pushed along on sixteen wheels that are seven feet in diameter. The word “juggernaut” has been used ever since to describe an uncontrollable force that will crush whatever falls into its path.
The Juggernaut may seem a strange nickname for a man weighing only 112 pounds, but the new flyweight champion of the world is truly unstoppable in the ring.
Junta
committee (Spanish)
Despite the term’s origins in sixteenth-century Spanish government committees, juntas are perhaps most often associated with military dictatorships in Central or South America. A “junta” refers to the governing body that comes to power after a military coup d’état, usually formed of the heads of armed forces. However, the word is often used pejoratively today to describe governments, or senior groups within organizations, that are perceived to be dictatorial in some aspects of their policy.
Sir Richard was desperate to get something in writing about the extension of the hunting ban, but he knew he’d have a hard time getting it past the pro-hunting junta.
K
Kaftan