| A | B |
|---|
| aplomb | absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession |
| eclat (n) | brilliancy of achievememt |
| elan (n) | enthusiasm; eagerness for action |
| ennui (n) | feeling of weariness and discontent; boredom; tedium |
| esprit de corps (n) | feeling of union and common interest pervading a group; devotion |
| finesse (n) | skill ad adroitness in handling a difficult situation |
| legerdemain (n) | sleight of hand; artful trick |
| malaise (n) | vague feeling of bodily discomfort of illness |
| noblesse oblige | principle that persons of high rank of birth are obliged to act nobly |
| rapport (n.) | relationship characterized by harmony, conformity, or affinity |
| sangfroid (n) | coolness of mind or composure in a difficult circumstance; equanimity |
| savoir faire (n) | knowledge of just what to do; tact |
| billet-doux (n) | love letter |
| bon mot | clever saying; witty remark |
| canard (n) | false rumor; absurd story; hoax |
| cliche' | trite or worn-out expression |
| entre nous (adv) | between us; confindentially |
| mot juste (n) | the exactly right word |
| nom de plume (n) | pen name; psuedonym |
| precis (n) | brief summary |
| repartee (n) | skill of replying quickly, cleverly, and humorously |
| resume (n) | 1. brief account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications 2. summary |
| riposte | 1. quick retort or repartee 2. in fencing, a quick return thrust after a parry |
| tete-a-tete | private conversation between two persons |
| bete noire | object or person dreaded; bugbear |
| carte blanche (n) | full discretionary power; freedom to use one's own judgment |
| cause celebre (n) | famous case in law that arouses considerable interest; an incident or situation attracting much attention |
| contretemps | inopportune occurrence; embarrassing situation or mishap |
| cul-de-sac | blind alley |
| debacle (n) | collapse, overthrow; rout |
| fait accompli (n) | thing already done |
| faux pas | misstep or blunder in conduct, manners, speech, etc. |
| impasse (n) | deadlock; predicament affording no escape; impassable road |
| liaison (n) | bond; linking up; coordination of activities |
| melange (n) | mixture; medley; potpourri |
| mirage (n) | optical illusion |
| coup d'etat (n) | sudden violent, or illegal overthrow of a government |
| demarche (n) | course of action, especially one involving a change of policy |
| detente (n) | a relaxing, as of strained relations between nations |
| entente (n) | understanding or agreement between governments |
| laissez-faire | absence of government interference or regulation |
| lettre de cachet (n) | sealed letter obtainable from the King of France ordering the imprisonment without trial of the person named in the letter |
| premier (n) | prime minister |
| rapprochement (n) | establishment or state of cordial relations; coming together |
| regime (n) | system of government or rule |
| avant garde (n) | experimentalists or innovators in any art |
| bas-relief | carving or sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background |
| baton (n) | stick with which a conductor beats time for an orchestra or band |
| chef d'oeuvre | masterpiece in art, literature, etc. |
| denoument (n) | solution of the plot in a play, story, or complex situation; outcome; end |
| encore (n) | repetition of a performance in response to the demand from the audience |
| musicale (n) | social gathering, with music as the featured entertainment |
| palette (n) | thin board on which an artist lays and mixes colors |
| repertoire (n) | 1. stock of plays, operas, roles, compositions, etc., that a company of performers is prepared to perform 2. collection |
| vignette (n) | short verbal description; small, graceful literary sketch |
| a la carte (adv) | according to the bill of fare; dish by dish; with a stated price for each dish |
| a la mode (adj) | 1. according to fashion; stylish 2. with ice cream |
| aperitif (n) | alcoholic drind taken before a meal as an appetizer |
| consomme (n) | clear soup; broth |
| cuisine (n) | style of cooking or preparing food |
| demitasse (n) | small cup for, or of, black coffe |
| entree (n) | main dish at lunch or dinner |
| piece de resistance | 1. main dish 2. main item of any collection, series, program, etc. |
| soup du jour (n) | special soup served in a restaurance on a particular day |
| table d'hote (n) | complete meal of several courses offered in a hotel of restaurant at a fixed price |
| bouffant (adj) | puffed out; full |
| chemise (n) | loose-fitting, sacklike dress |
| coiffure (n) | style of arranging the hair; headdress |
| cravat (n) | necktie |
| ensemble (n) | complete costume of harmonious clothing and accessories |
| flamboyant (adj) | flamelike; very ornate; showy |
| toupee (n) | wig |
| vogue (n) | fashion; accepted style |
| ambience (n) | surrounding atmosphere; environment |
| apropos (adv) | by the way; incidentally |
| apropos (adj) | appropriate; relevant; pertinent |
| avoirdupois (n) | weight; heaviness |
| bagatelle (n) | trifle |
| coup de grace (n) | decisive finishing blow |
| en route (adv. or adj.) | 1. on the way 2. along the way |
| etiquette (n) | conduct and manners of polite society |
| facade (n) | face or front of a building, or of anything |
| fete (n) | festival; entertainment; party |
| foyer | entrance hall; lobby |
| milieu (n) | environment; setting |
| parasol (n) | umbrella for protection against the sun |
| par excellence (adj) | above all others of the same sort |
| passe | old-fashioned; behind the times |
| pince-nez (n) | eyeglasses clipped to the nose by a spring |
| premiere (n) | first performance |
| queue (n) | line of persons waiting their turn |
| raison d'etre | reason or justification for existing |
| rendezvous (n) | 1. meeting place fixed by prior agreement 2. appointment to meet at a fixed time and place |
| silhouette (n) | shadow; outline |
| sobriquet (n) | nickname |
| souvenir | reminder; keepsake; memento |
| tour de force | feat of strength, skill, or ingenuity |
| vis-a-vis | face to face; opposite |
