| A | B |
|---|
| R.S.V.P. | to reply to an invitation |
| deja vu | the illusion of having previously experienced something |
| faux pas | a blunder in etiquette or manners |
| du jour | made for a particular day |
| bon voyage | Have a pleasant trip! |
| alma mater | a college from which one has graduated |
| cum laude | with honor, used in diplomas for high GPA |
| femme fatale | an irresistibly attractive woman |
| esprit de corps | a sense of unity and spirit among members of a group |
| verbatim | word for word |
| E pluribus unum | "Out of many, one" |
| prima donna | a person who takes privileged treatment as a right |
| avant-garde | an experimental group in any field |
| status quo | to keep things the way they are |
| joie de vivre | a carefree enjoyment of life |
| carte blanche | unconditional authority, full power |
| caveat emptor | commerce principle that the seller cannot be held responsible for quality of a product |
| alpha and omega | the beginning and the end |
| tabula rasa | mind comes into the world as a "blank slate" |
| hoi polloi | the masses or the people; peons |
| ad nauseam | to a sickening degree |
| carpe diem | "seize the day" |
| tempus fugit | time flies |
| c'est la vie | "That's life" |
| bona fide | genuine; real |
| savoir faire | polished sureness in social behavior |
| non sequitur | a statement that does not follow logically or is not related to anything previously said |
| id est | that is (i.e.) |
| enfant terrible | a child whose remarks cause embarassment or a person known for outrageous behavior |
| terra firma | dry land; solid ground |
| vox populi | the voice of the people |
| ad hoc | applies to the particular case at hand without wider application |
| cause celebre | a legal case that excites widespread interest |
| magnum opus | the greatest achievement of a writer or artist |
| persona non grata | personally unacceptable or unwelcome |
| quid pro quo | something given for something else |
| je ne sais quoi | somethign that cannot be adequately described |
| modus operandi | a pattern that suggests the work of a single criminal |
| nom de plume | pen name; pseudonym |
| haute couture | fashion houses that create exclusive and trend-setting fashions for women |
| mea culpa | a formal acknowledgement of fault or error |
