The Big Book of Words You Should Know

by David Olsen

  Martin prides himself on always being aware of FIN DE SIECLE philosophies, especially those that come from Europe.

  haute couture (OAT kyoo-CHOOR), noun

  High fashion. Haute couture is the most stylish and influential way of designing clothes at a given time. (Haute couture also refers to articles of clothing currently considered of the highest style.)

  Unfamiliar with the ways of HAUTE COUTURE, Wendell decided to pass up the fashion show.

  haute cuisine (oat kwi-ZEEN), noun

  Gourmet preparation of food. Haute cuisine can also refer to the preparation of meals as an art form.

  Glenn knows more than we do about HAUTE CUISINE; let’s let him pick the restaurant tonight.

  i.e. (eye ee), abbreviation, adverb

  An abbreviation for the Latin expression id est, meaning “that is.”

  Please make sure your child comes to school on the first day with all the necessary supplies, I.E., pencils, erasers, and notebooks.

  je ne sais quoi (zheuh-neuh-say-KWAH), noun

  From the French for “I don’t know what”; a special, intangible quality.

  “This ascot you lent me lends a certain . . . JE NE SAIS QUOI,” said Edgar, turning to catch himself at a better angle in the mirror.

  mea culpa (me-uh-KULP-uh), noun

  From the Latin meaning “I am to blame,” a mea culpa is acknowledgment, usually public acknowledgment, of a blunder or mistake.

  After the politician made racially tinged comments, he spent the better part of a month offering MEA CULPAS on national television.

  mise en scene (mee-zahn-SENN), noun

  From the French meaning “putting on stage,” mise en scene denotes the setting and placing of actors and scenery on a stage or in a film. In general, the term has become synonymous with one’s surroundings and environment.

  Most people either love or hate the MISE EN SCENE of Elvis Presley’s Graceland and especially its infamous “ jungle room.”

  modus operandi (MO-duss op-uh-RAN-deye), noun

  The mode of operation or style of doing something; from the Latin for “method of operating.”

  When Jason confessed, the police thought they had their killer, but after careful questioning it became apparent he didn’t know anything about the strange MODUS OPERANDI linking the murders, or about the silver cuff link always dropped at the scene of the crime.

  modus vivendi (MO-duss vih-VEN-dee), noun

  Lifestyle; a way of living.

  While most envied his rich and seemingly carefree existence, Glen often found his extravagant MODUS VIVENDI rather empty and lonely.

  mon ami (mone-ah-MEE), noun

  My friend.

  Deadlines come and deadlines go, MON AMI, but you and I remain.

  ne plus ultra (nay plooce OOL-truh), noun

  The highest possible embodiment (of something). Ne plus ultra is Latin for “Do not go beyond this point.”

  Many consider Oedipus Rex the drama’s NE PLUS ULTRA.

  n’ est-ce pas (ness PAH), adverb

  From the French “Is it not so?”; “Correct?”

  “Well, class,” our French teacher said, “since you all spent the weekend studying, this test should be a breeze, N’EST-CE PAS?”

  noblesse oblige (no-BLESS oh-BLEEZH), noun

  Benevolence befitting a person’s dignity and/or possession of high birth. Noblesse oblige is from the French for “nobility obliges.” The phrase usually refers to charitable actions or disposition toward those in classes perceived as low.

  A sense of NOBLESSE OBLIGE, not desire for headlines, motivates the Beal family’s admirable tradition of giving and volunteerism.

  nolo contendere (NO-lo kun-TEND-er-ee), noun

  In law, a plea that admits no guilt, but subjects the defendant to penalty.

  (Literally, “I am unwilling to contend.”)

  Charged with income tax evasion, Vice-President Spiro Agnew pleaded NOLO CONTENDERE, to the perfect satisfaction of the Internal Revenue Service.

  nom de guerre (nom duh GARE), noun

  A name taken or bestowed during wartime. Nom de guerre is French for “wartime name.”

  Fred’s NOM DE GUERRE in the regiment was Rookie, and he did not like it.

  nom de plume (nom duh PLOOM), noun

  An author’s pseudonym or pen name.

  The writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens is better known by his NOM DE PLUME, Mark Twain.

  non sequitur (non-SEK-wi-tur), noun, adjective

  Something that does not follow logically. A statement that has no basis in what has gone before is considered a non sequitur.

  The professor pointed out the many NON SEQUITURS contained in the pamphlet.

  nota bene (NOTE-ah BEN-eh), noun

  A term used to draw attention to a particular point; Latin for “note well.” (Sometimes rendered as “N.B.”)

  Applications will be accepted until the first of the month, provided, NOTA BENE, that they are accompanied by an income tax return filed within the last two years.

  Nouveau riche (noo-voh-REESH), noun and adjective

  Someone recently wealthy. Nouveau riche is often used to describe those whose newfound wealth brings with it a tactless or overbearing attitude.

  The escapades of the NOUVEAU RICHE are not the concern of this column.

  petit four (PET-ee FORE), noun

  A small decorated cake. Plural: petits fours.

  Aunt Marcia always served tea and PETITS FOURS at three o’clock.

  prima donna (PREE-muh DON-nuh), noun

  A self-centered member of a group or organization who feels that his contributions are so important as to merit special treatment. (Literally, a prima donna is the leading female singer in an opera company.)

  There is no place for PRIMA DONNAS in this organization; we must work together as a team.

  quid pro quo (kwid pro KWO), noun

  A thing given in return for something else; Latin: “something for something.”

  Ryan’s acceptance of a $40,000 check in return for a written promise to vote in favor of the highway project, a staggeringly obvious QUID PRO QUO, led to his indictment.

  roman à clef (ro-MON ah KLAY), noun

  A purportedly fictional work that only thinly veils the actual experiences of the author or of characters based on real personages.

  Capote was ostracized by those in his circle when he published a devastating excerpt from a ROMAN À CLEF, Unanswered Prayers, that lampooned the frailties and indiscretions of the people who had been closest to him.

  savoir faire (SAV-whah FAIRE), noun

  Tact or social skill.

  I’m afraid Helen just doesn’t have the SAVOIR FAIRE necessary to build coalitions in such a fractious organization.

  sine qua non (SEE-nay kwa NON), noun

  An essential feature (of something). Sine qua non is Latin for “without which not.”

  Many people consider a happy ending to be the SINE QUA NON of a proper comedy.

  status quo (STAH-tus KWO), noun

  The existing state of affairs or condition.

  Although Bill desperately wanted to get married, Melanie was more interested in preserving the STATUS QUO.

  sui generis (SOO-ee-JEN-er-us), adjective

  From the Latin meaning “of its own kind,” sui generis describes someone or something that is completely unique, something that seems to have sprung fully formed into existence.

  Andrea’s SUI GENERIS writing style seemed far removed from anything I have read before or since.

  tai chi chuan (tie jee chwan), noun

  A martial art of China that emphasizes slow, meditative movements.

  Each morning, I saw Erica in the park practicing the gentle, fluid movements she’ d learned in our TAI CHI CHUAN class.

  terra cotta (tare-uh KOT-uh), noun, adjective

  A reddish clay modeling compound that hardens when exposed to extreme heat. Terra cotta is used primarily for pottery, the exterior facings of buildings
, and sculpture.

  The exhibition is notable for several gorgeous TERRA COTTA sculptures of birds dating from the 1890s.

  tête-à-tête (TET ah tet), noun

  A meeting in which two people meet face-to-face. Tete-a-tete is French for “head-to-head.”

  You and Millie have done enough talking behind each other’s back; I think the time has come for you to have a TETE-A-TETE and work this problem out once and for all.

  trompe l’oeil (tromp LAY), noun

  An instance of visual trickery, as, for instance, an optical illusion giving the impression of three dimensions in a two-dimensional artistic medium.

  The painter specialized in TROMPE L’OEIL murals that often fooled passersby into thinking they were walking toward a storefront.

  vox populi (VOKS POP-yoo-lie), noun

  The voice of the people: public opinion.

  I reject the idea that any ideologue who phones up a radio talk show represents the VOX POPULI.

  PART V

  People and Place Words

  You Should Know

  If you’ve ever been—or longed to be—a Casanova . . . if someone has accused you of being quixotic. . . if you’ve ever been embroiled in a catch-22 . . . then these are the words you should know. Each is derived from the name of a real—or fictional— person or from a real—or fictional—place.

  Achilles’ heel (uh-KILL-eez HEEL), noun

  A vulnerable point. Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War who was vulnerable to harm only in his heel.

  Bob was a hard worker, but he often lost jobs because of his ACHILLES’ HEEL, his temper.

  anglophile (AYNG-luh-file), noun

  One who is not British but who loves British culture and customs.

  I know Jess is an ANGLOPHILE, but I will have to slaughter her with a bread knife if she makes me sit through one more silly British comedy!

  arcadia (are-KAY-dee-uh), noun (sometimes capitalized)

  This region of ancient Greece has come down through the centuries to refer to any region of rustic pleasure and quiet.

  As the noise of the city retreated, Ben felt he had entered an ARCADIA of natural wonders.

  auteur (OH-ter), noun

  This French word meaning “author” was adopted in the 1960s by film critics who used it to put forth their theory that directors are the authors of their films. As such, many directors put a recognizable stamp on their movies. Generally speaking, an auteur is any artist with a distinctive style.

  “Miles is so caught up with being an AUTEUR that he’s ruining the production!” Marla complained.

  babbitt (BAB-it), noun

  A person who clings to narrow-minded, materialistic ideals of the middle class.

  Sinclair Lewis’ novel Babbitt has as its main character a man whose conventional ideals of success and business lead to self-satisfaction and indifference to higher human values.

  Jerome may not be the most open-minded businessman, but he’s no BABBITT.

  babel (BAB-uhl), noun

  When capitalized, this Hebrew word names the city in which the building of a tower is believed to have been halted due to a sudden inability to communicate.

  According to the Old Testament, workers suddenly found themselves speaking different languages. In lower-case, babel is a scene of noise and confusion.

  I can’t study in the student lounge anymore. The BABEL just won’t allow me to concentrate.

  bowdlerize (BOWD-lur-ize), verb

  To cleanse or modify a work of literature (or art) by removing parts considered offensive or otherwise altering content and style.

  Producers of Gone with the Wind refused to BOWDLERIZE Margaret Mitchell’s famous line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

  Byzantine (BIZ-un-teen), noun

  Of or referring to the ornate, detailed architectural style developed in Byzantium during the fifth century a.d.; also, devious; also, exceptionally complex or minutely laid out.

  The company’s BYZANTINE organizational scheme sometimes left newcomers feeling that they reported to everyone in general and no one in particular.

  calvary (CAL-vuh-ree), noun

  A scene of intense anguish (named for the hill on which Jesus Christ was crucified, Calvary). Calvary is frequently confused with cavalry but their meanings are entirely different.

  Herbert faced his own private CALVARY after his wife told him she wanted a divorce.

  Casanova (kaz-uh-NO-vuh), noun

  Giacomo Casanova was an eighteenth-century Italian adventurer who wrote at great length about his sexual exploits. His name has come to be synonymous with a man noted for his amorous—and probably unscrupulous—activities.

  Phil likes to think of himself as a CASANOVA, but most women just think he’s pathetic.

  catch-22 (KATCH-twen-tee-too), noun

  An impossible situation in which one is presented with logically contradictory options. A demand that one call the phone repair service from the very telephone that is out of order, for instance, could be regarded as a catch-22. (The phrase is drawn from Joseph Heller’s novel of the same name.)

  Mr. Brown’s lighthearted memo issued a playful CATCH-22: he was only to be scheduled for meetings taking place during those days he planned to be out of town.

  cynical (SIN-uh-kuhl), adjective

  The cynics were a group of ancient Greek philosophers who rejected all conventions and conventional behavior. In modern times, a cynical person is one who thinks the worst of human nature, often in a smug and self-superior way.

  You don’t have to be so CYNICAL just because your favorite casino stopped offering bottled beer for a dollar!

  daedal (DEE-duhl), adjective

  Daedalus was a genius of ancient Greece who invented the dreaded, nearly-escape-proof Cretan labyrinth. As a result, daedal means either something extremely intricate (like Daedalus’s labyrinth) or something/someone very skillful and artistic (like Daedalus himself).

  I thought I could repair my computer until I got a look at the machine’s DAEDAL circuitry.

  decalogue (DEK-uh-log), noun

  The Ten Commandments. Decalogue refers to the commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai as recounted in the Bible.

  Mr. Collins, we are dealing here with a series of administrative guidelines we may administer as we see fit—not with a DECALOGUE.

  delphic (DELL-fick), adjective

  Delphi is the site of an ancient Greek oracle, or shrine to a prophetic god. Oracles’s prophecies often were obscure and had to be interpreted by experts. As a result, Delphic describes something that is obscurely prophetic.

  For years, other economists, reporters, and just plain folks scrambled to interpret Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan’s DELPHIC comments about the strength or weakness of the economy.

  Dionysian (die-uh-NIH-shun), adjective

  Relating to Dionysius, a Greek god of revelry; reminiscent of or pertaining to frenzied, uninhibited, or hedonistic behavior.

  The fraternity’s DIONYSIAN exploits were fun for a while, but when they resulted in his failing two classes, Emmett decided to go back to the quiet life.

  epicure (EP-ih-kyoor), noun

  A connoisseur; one who cultivates refined tastes, especially in reference to food and drink. Epicure is derived from the name of the Roman philosopher Epicurus, who lived between 341 and 279 b.c.

  Matt, who never seemed at all interested in gourmet dining, has suddenly become something of an EPICURE.

  Faustian (FOUS-tee-un), adjective

  Faust is the anti-hero of a German legend who sold his soul to the devil in order to gain great knowledge. Thus, Faustian describes the sacrificing of moral or spiritual values in order to gain knowledge, fame, money, etc.

  When she stopped being a public defender and became a corporate lawyer, Tia couldn’t help thinking she’d made a FAUSTIAN bargain.

  gargantuan (gar-GAN-choo-un), adjective

  Enormous. Gargantuan derives from the name of a fictional kin
g (Gargantua) famous for his massive appetite.

  The GARGANTUAN scale of the budget deficit caught both Congress and the financial markets by surprise.

  gentry (JEN-tree), noun

  Those claiming high birth. In England, gentry refers to the class immediately below the nobility.

  The fact that the GENTRY would benefit most from victory was taken by many of the soldiers to mean that they were fighting a rich man’s war.

  Herculean (hur-kyuh-LEE-un), adjective

  Strong and powerful; reminiscent of the god Hercules in vitality. In addition, Herculean can mean daunting or formidable—so difficult as to require the strength of Hercules.

  Robert made a HERCULEAN effort to complete the project before midnight.

  hotspur (HOT-spur), noun

  A quick-tempered, impulsive person. Hotspur is the name of a fiery character in Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, Part One.

  Ed was a real HOTSPUR around the office; be was likely to dominate a meeting with rash decrees and sudden denudations of plans he did not like.

  Lilliputian (lill-ih-PYOO-shun), adjective

  Of extremely small stature. From a land of small people found in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.

  The massive mural on the walls of the museum made me feel positively LILLIPUTIAN.

  lothario (lo-THAR-ee-oe), noun

  A seducer. The word Lothario originated from the name of a character in The Fair Penitent, a play (1703) by Nicholas Rowe.

  Ryan is friendly, I’ ll admit, but be is certainly no LOTHARIO.

  machiavellian (mok-ee-uh-VELL-ee-un), adjective

  Relating to the qualities espoused by Machiavelli in The Prince; cunning and deceitful in the pursuit of power, particularly with regard to political matters.

  Although Lyndon Johnson was certainly a ruthless politician, he was far from the MACHIAVELLIAN figure suggested by some of his biographers.

  maharajah (mah-huh-RAH-zhuh), noun

  Formerly, an Indian ruling prince, especially one of a major state.

  The MAHARAJAH and his entourage rode into the village on a procession of elephants.

  malapropism (MAL-a-prop-ism), noun

  The ridiculous misuse of similar-sounding words.