A memento mori is something, especially an object, that serves as a reminder of mortality. Memento mori tend to be ominous or frightening items; for example, skulls and representations of skulls have traditionally served as memento mori. But the term can also denote less ominous things, such as a ... Read more
Je ne sais quoi
Je ne sais quoi is French for "I know not what." In English, we use it to refer to an intangible, distinctive quality, especially of a person, that can't be put in words---e.g., "I don't know what makes him so charming. He just has a certain je ne sais quoi." The phrase is often italicized and ... Read more
Gung-ho
Gung-ho is adapted from a Chinese phrase that means, literally, work together. Brought to English during World War II by the American Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Evans Fordyce Carlson, it was originally used to describe a cooperative spirit, but it soon became a Marine battle cry. From this ... Read more
Nebbish
Nebbish is primarily a noun referring to a weak-willed or feckless person, usually male and especially one who is socially inept and lacks self-confidence. The -ish ending makes the word sound like an adjective, though, so the word is also occasionally used in corresponding adjectival senses---that ... Read more
Carte blanche
Carte blanche is French for white paper (though blanche here more accurately means blank, and carte is versatile in French, allowing for several alternative translations such as blank map and blank ticket). In English, we use it as a figurative noun meaning total freedom to act or full ... Read more
Simpatico
The adjective simpatico (sympatico is a misspelling) has a few definitions in English, including (1) likeable, (2) (of two or more people) having personal or intellectual affinity, (3) tending to get along with others, and (4) closely associated (with). It also works as a noun for a simpatico ... Read more
Tete-a-tete
Tete-a-tete (pronounced tet-uh-tet) comes from the French tête-à-tête, which translates literally to head to head. In English, we use it mainly as (1) a noun meaning a private conversation between two people, (2) an adjective meaning involving two people conversing in private, and (3) an adverb ... Read more
Berserk
In Old Norse writings, berserkers are warriors who fight in a furious, uncontrollable, possibly drug-induced trance that gives them great strength and courage. The word came to English in the early 19th century and was initially used mainly in reference to the warriors, but it was soon shortened to ... Read more
Forte
In English, forte is two different words. When it comes from the French adjective meaning strong, it is a noun referring to something in which one excels. For example, an accountant's forte might be math, and a novelist's forte might be inventing characters. When forte comes from Italian, it is a ... Read more
Avant-garde
The French loan phrase avant-garde,which translates literally to before guard, originally referred to the front part of an army.1 But today, in both English and French, the word relates to innovation, especially artistic. As a noun, it denotes an innovative group or movement within a given field. As ... Read more
