Glossary of French words and expressions in English

Here are some examples of French words and phrases used by English speakers.

There are many words of French origin in English, such as art, collage, competition, force, machine, police, publicity, role, routine, table, and many others which have been and are being anglicized. They are now pronounced according to English rules of orthography, rather than French. Approximately 40% of English vocabulary is of French or Oïl language origin, most derived from, or transmitted by, the Anglo-Norman spoken by the upper classes in England for several hundred years after the Norman Conquest, before the language settled into what became Modern English.

This article, however, covers words and phrases that generally entered the lexicon later, as through literature, the arts, diplomacy, and other cultural exchanges not involving conquests. As such, they have not lost their character as Gallicisms, or words that seem unmistakably foreign and "French" to an English-speaking person.

That said, the phrases are given as used in English, and may seem correct modern French to English speakers, but may not be recognised as such by French speakers as many of them are now defunct or have a different meaning due to semantic evolution. A general rule is that if the word or phrase retains French diacritics or looks better in italics, it has retained its French identity.

A

à gogo

in abundance

à la

in the manner of

à la carte

on the card; (in restaurants refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal)

à la mode

fashionable; also, with ice cream (in the U.S.)

accouchement

confinement during childbirth; the process of having a baby; only this last meaning remains in French

adieu

good bye; lit. To God (= next time I see you, it'll be in Paradise) : often used in a dramatic way in French

agent provocateur

a police spy who infiltrates a group to disrupt or discredit it.

aide-de-camp

a military assistant

aide-mémoire

a position paper; a diplomatic agenda

amuse bouche

an appetizer; lit. mouth pleaser, amuse gueule in modern French.

ancien régime

a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, in allusion to pre-revolutionary France (used with capital letter in French with this meaning : Ancien Régime)

aperçu

a first impression; initial insight

apéritif

a before-meal drink

appliqué

an inlaid or attached decorative feature

Après moi, le déluge.

the remark attributed to Louis XV of France; used in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution. (After me, the deluge.)

après-ski

after skiing socializing after a ski session; in modern French, this word refers to boots used to walk in snow typically (MoonBoots^TM)usually worn after a ski session

arête

a narrow ridge

armoire

a type of cabinet; wardrobe

artiste

a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretensions

art nouveau

a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (usually bears capitals in French : Art Nouveau)

attaché

a person attached to an embassy; in French is also the past participle of the verb attacher (=to fasten)

au contraire

to the contrary

au courant

up-to-date; abreast of current affairs

au jus

literally, with juice, referring to a food course served with sauce. Often redundantly formulated, as in 'Open-faced steak sandwich, served with au jus.' In modern french, although 'jus' can refer to juice produced by meat during cooking, 'au jus' is also a colloquial expression used to call someone to jump into water at a pool, beach...

au naturel

nude

au pair

a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board

Au revoir!

"See you soon!"; lit. Until the next sight. In French contraction of Au plaisir de vous revoir (=to the pleasure of seeing you again).

avant garde

applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art, music and literature; figuratively "on the edge", literally, a military term, meaning "vanguard" or "advance guard", in other words, "first to attack".

avant la lettre

used to describe something or someone seen as a precursor or forerunner of something (such as an artistic or political movement) before that something was recognized and named, e.g. "a post-modernist avant la lettre", "a feminist avant la lettre"; the expression literally means before the letter, i.e. "before it had a name".

B

beaucoup

a lot of (slang, such as, "beaucoup bucks")

belle

meaning beauty. The mostly popular use of this word is the phrase southern belle

bête noire

refers to a scary or unpopular idea or thing, or the archetypical scary monster in a story; literally "black beast".

billet-doux

a love letter, literally "sweet letter".

blasé

nonchalant or uninterested; literally to cloy or to be chronically hung over.

blond/e

this is not the only foreign word in everyday use in the English language that also differs in gender — 'blond' is masculine, 'blonde' is feminine.

Bon appétit!

Bon appetit, enjoy your meal, or have a good appetite. Actually, there is no original English phrase in use for this.

Bon voyage!

"Have a good trip!"

bureau de change

A currency exchange.

C

cachet

a distinctive quality

café-au-lait

coffee with milk; or a light-brown color

cap-à-pied

from head to foot; modern French uses de pied en cap

carte blanche

unlimited authority; literally "white card"

carte d'identité

identity card

cause célèbre

a controversial issue, such as a legal case, which divides public opinion

C'est la mode.

"Such is fashion"

C'est la vie!

"That's life!"; or "Such is life!"

C'est magnifique!

"That's great!"

chaise longue

a long chair for reclining; (also rendered chaise lounge via folk etymology)

chanson

a song

chanteuse

a female singer

chapeau

a hat

chargé d'affaires

a temporary or low-level diplomat; also used in French in the business world : refers to someone in charge of some business

châteaux en Espagne

literally "castles in Spain"; something that exists only in the imagination (as, "castles in the air" or "pie in the sky")

chef d'œuvre

a masterpiece

Cherchez la femme.

literally "Look for the woman." (expressing the notion that behind a man’s unusual behavior may be his trying to impress a woman or to cover up an affair)

Chevalier d'Industrie

one who lives by his wits, specially by swindling, literally "knight of industry";

chez

the home of

chic

stylish

chignon

a hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck

cinéma vérité

realism in documentary filmmaking

claque

a group of admirers; in French = a slap

cliché

trite through overuse; a stereotype

clique

a small exclusive group of friends; often used in a pejorative way in French

coquette

a flirtatious girl; a tease

commandant

a commanding officer

comme il faut

as is proper

comme ci comme ça

so-so

communiqué

an official communication

concierge

a hotel desk manager (in French also refers to the caretaker of a building usually living at the front floor ; concierges have a reputation for gossiping)

concordat

an agreement; a treaty; when used with capital letters in French refers to a treaty between the French State and Judaeo-Christian religions during the French Empire (Napoleon) : priests, ministers and rabbis became civil servants. This treaty was abbolished in 1905 (Church-State separation) but is still in use in Alsace-Lorraine (those territories were under German administration during 1871-1918)

confrère

a colleague

congé

a departure; in French when used in the plural form refers to vacations

connoisseur

an expert in wines, fine arts, or other matters of culture; a person of refined taste; (spelt connaisseur in modern French)

conte

a short story; in French a conte has usually a fantasy context (such as in fairytales)

contretemps

an awkward clash; a delay

cordon sanitaire

a policy of containment directed against a hostile entity or ideology; a chain of buffer states; lit. "quarantine line"

corduroy

a material used in clothing, derives from French "corde du roi"; lit. "cloth of kings"

cortège

a funeral procession; in French has a broader meaning and refers to all kinds of procession

corvée

forced labor for minimal or no pay

cotte d'armes

coat of arms

coup de foudre

a sudden unforeseen event (in French, "thunderbolt": love at first sight)

coup de grâce

the final blow that results in victory (literally "blow of mercy"), historically used in the context of the battlefield, now more often used in other contexts (e.g. the defense's production of a particular piece of evidence in court that destroys the prosecution's case).

coup de main

a surprise attack (usually means to give assistance in French: donner un coup de main is "to give a hand", even if the English meaning exists as well but is old-fashionned)

coup d'Etat

a sudden change in government by force; literally "hit (blow) of state" (note the capital E in French, not used in English)

coup d'œil

a glance, literally "a blow (or touch) with the eye"

couture

fashion

couturier

a fashion designer

crèche

a nativity display; more commonly (in UK), a place where children are left by their parents for short periods in the supervision of childminders; both meanings still exist in French

crème brûlée

a dessert consisting primarily of custard and toasted sugar, that is, caramel, literally "burnt cream"

crème de la crème

best of the best; literally "cream of the cream", used to describe highly skilled people

crème fraîche

literally "fresh cream", a heavy cream slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as sour cream

crêpe

a thin sweet or savoury pancake eaten as a light meal or dessert

cri du cœur

a passionate plea, literally "cry of the heart"

cul-de-sac

a dead-end (residential) street; literally "bottom (buttocks) of the bag"

D

déclassé

of inferior social status

décor

the layout and furnishing of a room

découpage

decoration with cut paper

dépanneur

a neighborhood general/convenience store, term used in eastern Canada

déjà vu

an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before. Literally "already seen".

déjà entendu

already heard

déjà lu

already read

démarche

a decisive step

demimonde

a class of women of ill repute; a fringe group or subculture, from demi mondaine in the XIX century, not used in France

dénouement

the end result

de nouveau

again; anew

dérailleur

a bicycle gear-shift mechanism

de règle

according to custom;

de rigueur

required or expected, especially with reference to fashion

dernier cri

the latest fashion

derrière

rear; buttocks; literally "behind"

déshabillé

partially clad

détente

easing of diplomatic tension

de trop

excessive

diablerie

witchcraft, deviltry

divertissement

an amusing diversion; entertainment

dossier

a file containing detailed information about a person; it has a much wider meaning in modern french, as any type of file, or even a computer directory

double entendre

something which can be interpreted in two ways, both of which make sense in the context used. One is often sexual (now defunct in French)

douceur de vivre

"sweetness of life"

doyenne

the senior female member of a group;

dressage

a form of competitive horse training

droit du seigneur

the purported right of a lord of an estate to deflower a woman on her wedding night in precedence to her new husband; literally the "right of the lord" (also called "droit de cuissage" in modern french)

du jour

said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten; today's choice on the menu, as soup du jour, literally "of the day"

E

eau de toilette

perfume

élan

a distinctive flair

émigré

one who has emigrated for political reasons; the political reason is not implied in the French use of the word

éminence grise

a powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or otherwise unofficially; literally "gray eminence"

enfant terrible

a disruptively unconventional person, a "terrible child"

en bloc

as a group

en masse

all together

ennui

boredom

en passant

in passing

en route

on the way

en suite

as a set (do not confuse with "ensuite", meaning "then")

entente

diplomatic agreement or cooperation

entre nous

confidentially; literally "between us"

entrée

literally "entrance"; the first course of a meal (UK English); used to denote the main dish or course of a meal (US English)

entremets

desserts/sweet dishes. More literally, a side dish that can be served between the courses of a meal

entrepreneur

a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks

escargots

snails (as food)

escritoire

a writing table (spelt écritoire in French)

esprit de corps

a feeling of solidarity among members of a group; morale; literally "spirit of the body (of troops)"

étude

a musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of a instrument. French for "study".

exposé

a published exposure of a fraud or scandal; in French refers to a talk or a report on all kinds of subject

extraordinaire

extraordinary, usually as a following adjective, as "musician extraordinaire"

F

fait accompli

something that has happened and is unlikely to be reversed

faute de mieux

for want of better

faux

fake

faux amis

literally "false friends"; used to refer to words in two different languages that have the same or similar spelling, and often the same etymology but different meanings, such as the French verb rester which means "to stay" rather than "to rest"

faux pas

a social blunder, or "false step"

femme fatale

an alluring, mysterious woman; the term implies a fatal ending to meeting and frequenting such a woman

fiancé

a man engaged to be married

fiancée

a woman engaged to be married

film noir

a genre of dark-themed movies

fils

used after a man's surname to distinguish a son from a father, as George Bush fils (in, French "fils" = son)

fin de siècle

comparable to (but not exactly the same as) turn-of-the-century but with a connotation of decadence, usually applied to the period from 1890 through 1910.

flambeau

a lighted torch

flâneur

a gentleman stroller of city streets

fleur-de-lis

a stylized-flower heraldic device; the golden fleur-de-lis on an azure background were the arms of the French Kingdom

folie à deux

a simultaneous occurrence of delusions in two closely related people, often said of an unsuitable romance

force majeure

an overpowering event, an act of God

forte

a strength, a strong point, typically of a person, from the French fort or strong.

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary,"In forte we have a word derived from French that in its "strong point" sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \'for-"tA\ and \'for-tE\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived forte. Their recommended pronunciation \'fort\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however. In British English \'fo-"tA\ and \'fot\ predominate; \'for-"tA\ and \for-'tA\ are probably the most frequent pronunciations in American English."

G

gaffe

blunder

garçon

literally "boy" or "male servant"; sometimes used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male waiter; (has a playful connotation in English but can be rather insulting in French)

gauche

tactless, literally "left handed"

gaucherie

boorishness

genre

a type or class, such as "the thriller genre"

glissade

slide down a slope

Grand Prix

a type of motor racing, literally "Grand Prize"

Grand Guignol

a horror show, named after a French theater famous for its frightening plays and bloody special effects. (Guignol can be used in French to describe a ridiculous person, in the same way that clown might be used in English.)

H

habitué

one who regularly frequents a place

haute couture

trend-setting fashion

haute cuisine

a manner of preparing food; literally "upper kitchen".

haute école

advanced horsemanship; literally "upper school"

hauteur

arrogance; lit. height

haut monde

fashionable society, the "upper world"

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

"Shame on him who thinks ill of it"; or sometimes translated as Evil be to him who evil thinks; the motto of the most noble Order of the Garter (modern French writes honni instead of Old French honi)

hors de combat

out of the fight

hors-concours

"out of the running"; used to describe someone who is a non-competitor, especially in love (not restricted to love in modern french)

hors d'œuvre

appetizer

huis-clos

the huis clos is a term which indicates an enclosed space such as a room or cell.

I

idée fixe

a leitmotiv; an obsession

insouciant

nonchalant

ingénue

an innocent young woman, used particularly in reference to a theatrical stock character

J

J’accuse

I accuse.; used generally in reference to a political or social indictment (alluding to the title of Émile Zola’s exposé of the Dreyfus affair)

J'adore

literally, I adore. Implies "Je t'adore", translated as "I love you".

J'adoube

In chess, an expression said discreetly signaling an intention to straighten out the pieces, without being committed to moving or capturing the first one touched as per the game's rules. lit. "I adjust". From the french verb adouber, to dub (the action of knighting someone)

Je ne sais pas

I don't know

Je-ne-sais-quoi

an indefinable, usually compelling quality (charisma); lit. I don't know what

joie de vivre

joy of living

je m'appelle ... my name is ...

L

l'affaire [proper name]

a cause célèbre, such as "l’affaire Enron", an allusion to L’Affaire Dreyfus

laissez-faire

a policy of minimal interference, usu. in reference to government regulation of commerce

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

"Let the good times roll." (strongly associated with Cajun and New Orleans culture and not commonly used by Francophones outside of Louisiana)

Lamé

is a type of fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns.

layette

a set of clothing and accessories for a new baby

la petite mort

an orgasm; literally "the little death"

l'esprit de l'escalier

thinking of the right comeback too late; literally "staircase wit"; (originally a witticism of Diderot, the French encyclopedist, in his Paradoxe sur le Comédien)

L'état, c'est moi.

the remark attributed to Louis XIV ("I am the state"); also used generally in reference to the overweening ego of an absolute ruler

liaison

a close relationship or connection; an affair. The French meaning is broader; "liaison" also means bond such as in une liaison chimique = " a chemical bond"

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

"Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood"; (motto of the French Republic)

littérateur

an intellectual; (pejorative in French)

louche

of questionable taste; shady

M

macramé

coarse lace work made with knotted cords

maison

house

maître d'

short for maître d'hotel, headwaiter. (French never uses "d'" alone, as "d'" only means "of" (litt :master of hotel)).

malaise

a general sense of depression or unease

mal de mer

motion sickness, literally "seasickness"

Mardi Gras

Fat Tuesday, the last day of eating meat before Lent

marque

a model or brand

matériel

supplies and equipment, particularly in a military context (french meaning is broader and corresponds more to "hardware")

mélange

a mixture

mêlée

a confused fight; a struggling crowd

ménage à trois

a sexual arrangement between three people; literally "household for three"; (not typically used if all three are of the same sex)

Merci beaucoup!

"Thank you very much!"

Merde

"crap" (literally means "shit")

métier

a field of work or other activity; usually one in which one has special ability or training

milieu

social environment; setting

mirepoix

a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots

mise en place

a food assembly station in a commercial kitchen

mise en scène

staging of sets, props, actors, etc. in theater and film

moi

"me"; often used in English as an ironic reply to an accusation; for example, "Pretentious? Moi?"

moi aussi

"me too", used to show agreeing with someone

montage

a blending of pictures, scenes, or sounds

motif

a recurrent thematic element

mousse

a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam; in modern french, any kind of foam

N

naïve

lacking experience, understanding or sophistication

né

masculine form of née, "born"

née

used to indicate a woman’s birth name or maiden name, such as, "Martha Washington, née Martha Custis"; "born"

negligee

(Negligée) A robe or a dressing gown, usually of sheer or soft fabric for women.

N'est-ce pas?

Isn't it?; asked rhetorically after a statement, as in "Right?"

noblesse oblige

honorable behavior expected of high rank

nom de guerre

pseudonym to disguise the identity of a leader of a militant group, literally "war name", used in France for "pseudonym"

nom de plume

author's pseudonym, literally "pen name". Originally an English phrase, now also used in France

nouveau

newfangled

nouveau riche

newly rich

nouvelle cuisine

new cuisine

O

objet d'art

a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture

œuvre

"work", in the sense of an artist's work; by extension, an artist's entire body of work

P

panache

verve; flamboyance

papier-mâché

a craft medium using paper and paste; literally "chewed paper"

par excellence

quintessential; literally "by excellence"

pas de deux

a close relationship between two people; a duet in ballet

pas de trois

a dance for three, usually in ballet.

passé

out of fashion

pastiche

a derivative work; an imitation

patois

a dialect; jargon

peignoir

a woman’s dressing gown; a negligee (in French, also a bathrobe)

père

used after a man's surname to distinguish a father from a son, as in "George Bush pere."

petite

small; waiflike; skinny; lit. small

pièce de résistance

the best; the main meal, literally "the one that resists"

pièce d'occasion

occasional piece; item written or composed for a special occasion

pied-à-terre

a second home, usually an apartment in the city

plat de résistance

the main dish of a meal; literally dish of resistance:

plat du jour

a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day but which is not part of the regular menu; literally "dish of the day"

plus ça change

The more things change, the more they stay the same. (from Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, or Plus ça change, plus c’est pareil.)

potpourri, pot-pourri, pot pourri

medley, mélange, mixture

pour encourager les autres

to encourage the others, from Voltaire (Candide) [1]

précis

a concise summary

prix fixe

a fixed-price meal

portmanteau

a large suitcase, literally "carry coat"

poseur

a person who pretends to be something he is not; a phony; a poser

prêt-à-porter

ready-to-wear clothing

prix fixe

a fixed price meal, sometimes with choices

protégé

one who receives support from an influential patron

provocateur

a polemicist

Q

Quel dommage!

"What a pity!"

Quelle horreur!

What a horrible thing! (often used sarcastically)

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

"What is this?"

R

raconteur

a conversationalist

raison d'être

justification for existence; "reason for being"

rapport

to be in someone's "good graces"; to be in synch with someone; "I've developed a rapport with my co-workers"; French for: relationship

rapprochement

the establishment of cordial relations, often used in diplomacy

recherché

obscure; pretentious. (usually used in French for sophisticated or delicate)

résumé

in North American English, a document listing one's qualifications for employment (in french, any kind of summary)

rendezvous

a meeting, appointment, or date; (usually written rendez-vous in French and sometimes in English)

repartee

clever banter

repertoire

the range of skills of a particular person or group

reportage

reporting; journalism

ressentiment

a deep-seated sense of aggrievement and powerlessness

restaurateur

a restaurant owner

risqué

sexually suggestive; (in French, the meaning of risqué is "risky", with no sexual connotation)

roman à clef

a fictional account of a true story; literally "novel with a key"

roué

a hedonist, "cunning devil"

roux

a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a base in soups and gravies

S

sabotage

subversive destruction, from the practice of workers fearful of industrialization destroying machines by tossing their sabots ("wooden shoes") into machinery

saboteur

one who commits sabotage

Sacrebleu/Sacré bleu!

general exclamation of horror and shock; literally "holy blue", an oath invoking the color associated with Mary, mother of Jesus. sometimes contracted and unaccented: sacrebleu (no longer current in French)

sang-froid

great coolness and composure under strain; literally "cold blood"

sans

without

sans-culottes

an extremist, literally "without pants", name the insurgent crowd in the streets of Paris gave to itself during the French Revolution. It is a way to shake off the monarchy because they usually wore pantaloons (full-length pants or trousers) instead of the chic knee-length culotte of the nobles.

savant

a wise or learned person; in English referring to an exceptionally gifted individual

savoir-faire

social grace; means know-how in French.

savoir-vivre

etiquette

s'il vous plaît

please; literally "if it pleases you", "if you please"

si vous préférez

"if you prefer"

sobriquet

an assumed name, a nickname

soi-disant

so-called; self-described; literally "oneself saying"

soigné

fashionable; polished

soirée

an evening party

soupçon

a very small amount (In French, can also mean suspicion)

soupe du jour

"soup of the day", meaning the particular kind of soup offered that day

succès d’estime

a "success in the estimation of others", sometimes used pejoratively

T

table d'hôte

a full-course meal offered at a fixed price

tableau vivant

in drama, a scene in which actors remain still as if in a picture

tant mieux

so much the better

tête-à-tête

a private meeting; literally "head-to-head"

toilette

the process of dressing or grooming

touché

acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint; literally "touched" or "hit!"

tour de force

a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment; literally "feat of strength"

très

very (often ironically)

trompe l'œil

photograph-like realism in painting; literally "trick the eye"

V

venue

invited person for a show, once ("come"); unused in modern french

vignette

a brief description; a short scene (in french, a small picture)

vinaigrette

salad dressing of oil and vinegar; diminutive of vinaigre - vinegar

vis-à-vis

in comparison with or in relation to; also "opposite number", literally "face-to-face"

Vive!

"Long live ...!"; literally "Live"; as in "Vive la France!", “Vive la Résistance!”, "Vive le Canada!", or "Vive le Québec libre!"

Vive la différence.

Long live the difference. (generally referring to difference between male and female)

Voilà! or Et voilà!

"There you go!" or "And there you have it!"

volte-face

a complete reversal of opinion or position, about face

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?

"Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)? " (quite rude in modern French as it has no cultural background and is just a rude move)

voyeur

a peeping tom

W - X - Y - Z

Zut alors!

"Darn it!", a general exclamation. Like Sacre bleu, this is considered old-fashioned by modern French speakers. Just plain zut is still in use, however - often repeated for effect, for example, zut, zut et zut!) (Whether zut is dated or not might depend on context: where merde is not polite enough, zut, zut alors, zut et rezut etc. are still in current use.)

Special Note There is an album by Frank Zappa titled Zoot Allures.

Only found in English

auteur

A film director, specifically one who controls most aspects of a film, or other controller of an artistic situation. The English connotation derives from French film theory. It was popularized in the journal Cahiers du cinéma: auteur theory maintains that directors like Hitchcock exert a level of creative control equivalent to the author of a literary work. In French, the word originally means author, but some expressions like "cinéma d'auteur" are also in use.

cause célèbre

An issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate, lit. famous cause

décolletage

a low-cut neckline, cleavage (This is actually a case of "false friends": Engl. décolletage = Fr. décolleté; Fr. décolletage means: 1. action of lowering a female garment's neckline; 2. Agric.: cutting leaves from some cultivated roots such as beets, carrots, etc.; 3. Tech. Operation consisting of making screws, bolts, etc. one after another out of a single bar of metal on a parallel lathe.

double entendre

double meaning, for which Francophones would use « double sens ». The verb entendre, to hear (modern), originally meant to understand. (Note: French usage: "un mot à double sens": a word with more than one meaning; "une phrase à double entente": a sentence with a hidden meaning. "À double entente" is listed in the Petit Larousse 1994 with no mention of its being obsolete or regional.)

encore

A request to repeat a performance, as in “Encore !”, lit. again; also used to describe additional songs played at the end of a gig. Francophones would say « Bis ! » (a second time !); or « Une autre ! » (Another one !) to request « un rappel » (an encore). To say « Encore ! » implies a request to reprieve the entire repertoire.

faux pas

An embarrassing social error, lit. false step; sometimes used in French to mean to slip. Francophones would normally use « gaffe » which is less polite.

femme

a stereotypically effeminate gay man or lesbian (slang, pronounced as written). In French, femme means "woman".

le mot juste

the right word.

maître d’

Francophones would say maître d’hôtel instead (French never uses "d'" alone).

Répondez s'il vous plaît. (RSVP)

Please reply.

succès de scandale

Success through scandal; Francophones might use « succès par médisance ».

voir dire

jury selection (Law French)

French phrases in international air-sea rescue

International authorities have adopted a number of words and phrases from French for use by speakers of all languages in voice communications during air-sea rescues. Note that the "phonetic" versions are presented as shown and not in IPA.

SECURITAY

(securité, “safety”) the following is a safety message or warning, the lowest level of danger.

PAN PAN

(panne, “breakdown”) the following is a message concerning a danger to a person or ship, the next level of danger.

MAYDAY

([venez] m'aider, “come help me”; N.B. "Aidez-moi" means "help me") the following is a message of extreme urgency, the highest level of danger. (MAYDAY is used on voice channels for the same uses as SOS on Morse channels.)

SEELONCE

(silence, “silence”) keep this channel clear for air-sea rescue communications.

SEELONCE FEE NEE

(silence fini, “silence is over”) this channel is now available again.

PRU DONCE

(prudence, “prudence”) silence partially lifted, channel may be used again for urgent non-distress communication.

MAY DEE CAL

(médical, “medical”) medical assistance needed.

It is a serious breach in most countries, and in international zones, to use any of these phrases without justification.

See Mayday (distress signal) for a more detailed explanation.

See also

• List of French phrases
• Pseudo-Gallicisms
• Law French
• Common phrases in different languages
• French language
• List of French proverbs
• List of Latin words with English derivatives
• List of Latin phrases
• List of Greek phrases
• List of German expressions in English
• List of German words and phrases

References

• Communications Instructions, Distress and Rescue Procedures (pdf), Combined Communications-Electronics Board
• Hutchinson Dictionary of Difficult Words, Helicon Publishing, Ltd.
• Online Etymology Dictionary, Harper, D.
• Je Ne Sais What?: A Guide to de rigueur Frenglish for Readers, Writers, and Speakers, Winokur, J.