1. having to do with the middle class 2. concerned with petty, materialistic interest; lacking in culture or refinement

French Vocab Flashcards by Ashton Spritka

Au courant (adj.)

Well-informed; up to date

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bourgeois (adj)

having to do with the middle class

2. concerned with petty, materialistic interest; lacking in culture or refinement

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clairvoyant (adj)

Clear sighted; unusually perceptive

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debonair (adj)

courteous, gracious, and charming

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gauche (adj)

lacking social grace; crude; tactless; awkward

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maladroit (adj)

unskillful; clumsy

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attache (n)

member of the diplomatic staff of an ambassador or minister

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bourgeoisie (n)

the middle class

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charge d’ affaires (n)

temporary substitute for an ambassador

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confrere (n)

colleague; co-worker; comrade

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coterie (n)

set or circle of acquaintances; clique

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emigre (n)

refugee; person who has fled (emigrated) from his or her native land because of political conditions

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envoy (n)

diplomatic agent or messenger

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gendarme (n)

armed police officer, especially in France and other European countries

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gourmand (n)

person excessively fond of eating and drinking ; glutton

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ingenue (n)

actress playing the role of a naive young woman; naive young woman

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maitre d’hotel (n)

headwaiter

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martinet (n)

person who enforces very strict discipline

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nonpareil (n)

person of unequaled excellence; paragon

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nouveaux riches (n pl.)

persons newly rich

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parvenu (masc. n)

Person suddenly risen to wealth or power who lacks proper social qualifications; upstart

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raconteur (n)

person who excels in telling stories, anecdotes, etc.

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valet (n)

manservant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of his employer’s clothes

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aplomb (n)

absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession

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eclat (n)

brilliancy of achievement

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 to a group or to its ideals

legerdemain (n)

sleight of hand; artful trick

malaise (n)

vague feeling of bodily discomfort or illness

noblesse oblige (n)

principle that persons of high rank or birth are obligated to act nobly

sangfroid (n)

coolness of mind or composure in difficult circumstances; equanimity

savoir faire (n)

knowledge of just what to do; tact

billet-doux (n)

love letter

bon not (n)

clever saying; witty remark

canard (n)

false rumor; absurd story; hoax

entre nous (adv)

between us confidentially

mot juste (n)

the exactly right word

nom de plume (n)

pen name; pseudonym

precis (n)

brief summary

repartee (n)

skill of replying quickly, cleverly, and humorously; witty reply

riposte (n)

1. quick retort or repartee | 2. in fencing, a quick return thrust after a parry

tete-a-tete (n)

private conversation between two persons

bete noire (n)

object or person dreaded; bugbear

care blanche (n)

full discretionary power; freedom to use one's own judgement

cause celebre (n)

famous case in law that arouses considerable interest; an incident or situation attracting much attention

contretemps (n)

inopportune occurrence; embarrassing situation or mishap

debacle (n)

collapse; overthrow; rout

fait accompli (n)

thing already done

melange (n)

mixture; medley; potpourri

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

lettre de cachet (n)

sealed letter obtainable from the King of France (before the Revolution) 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

bas-relief (n)

carving or sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background

chef d'oeuvre (n)

masterpiece in art, literature, etc.

vignette (n)

short verbal description; small; graceful literary sketch

aperitif (n)

alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appretizer

consomme (n)

clear soup; broth

demitasse (n)

small cup for, or of, black coffee

piece de resistance (n)

1. main dish | 2. main item of any collection, series, program, etc.

table d'hote (n)

complete meal of several courses offered in a hotel or restaurant at a fixed price

bouffant (adj)

puffed out; full

chemise (n)

loose-fitting, sacklike dress

coiffure (n)

style of arranging the hair, headdress

cravet (n)

necktie

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

fete (n)

festival; entertainment; party

fete (v)

honor with a fete

milieu (n)

environment; setting

par excellence (adj)

above all others of the same sort (follows the word it modifies)

passe (adj)

old-fashioned; behind the times; outmoded

pince-nez (n)

eyeglasses clipped to the nose by a spring

raison d'etre (n)

reason or justification for existing

sobriquet (n)

nickname

tour de force (n)

feat of strength , skill , or ingenuity

vis-a-vis (prep)

face to face;opposite

French Vocab Flashcards

(84 cards)