Foreign Phrases

Most of us have been embarrassed at one time or another to find that we were completely baffled by the definition or pronunciation of a word or phrase “we ought to know.” (In my case it was hyperbole, which I pronounced like “hyper-bowl.”) How to Sound Smart, A Quick and Witty Guide, by Norah Vincent and Chad Conway, provides a palatable path through this sticky realm along with interesting anecdotes or examples, even to the words we may know. For example, the full phrase for adlib is “ad libitum” (add-li-bee-tum) which means “to desire,” or in English, “as you wish.” When an actor forgets his lines, he fills in with what he wishes to say instead, sometimes with amusing results.

Even more than the easy-to-understand, albeit slightly imperfect, pronunciation guides (in parentheses following most words), I especially like the book’s usually succinct and pithy definitions, with now and then an amusing anecdote thrown in.
The French phrase “Chacun à son goût” means “each to his own taste,” but is sometimes sarcastic: The always outrageous Tallulah Bankhead, upon seeing the Catholic bishop of New York in full regalia, traversing the aisle of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and swinging his censer, reputedly said, “Honey, I love your dress, but your purse is on fire.”

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