1. avant-garde: the leaders of a movement; vanguard. Avante-garde people are generally regarded as some reformers, people with new ideas who are somewhat ahead of their time.2. bete noire: someone or something that is feared or disliked. In French, the two words mean “black beast.” A black sheep was an eye-sore in the flock, its wool was less valuable. If something is your bete noire, you do your best to avoid it; it is a thorn in your side.
3. bot mot: a bright saying; witticism. In French, bon means “good,” and mot means “word.” A clever remark or ad lib is often labeled as bon mot.
4. coup de grace: the shot or blow that brings death; the finishing stroke. The actual French meaning is “blow of mercy.” The officer in charge of a firing squad administers the coup de grace by firing a bullet into the victim’s head after his men have shot.
5. cul-de-sac: a passage or street with only one outlet; a situation form which there is no escape; an argument that leads nowhere. In French it means “bottom of the sack.”
6. dues ex machina: someone who intervenes unexpectedly to solve a dilemma. The literal Latin meaning is “god out of the machine.” In the ancient theater the first few acts laid out the problems facing the characters and when no solution was apparent, a “god” was lowered onto the stage and helped to resolve the issues.
7. fait accompli: something that is already done so that there is no use in debating it. In French, “an accomplished fact.”
8. fin de siecle: referring to the last years of the nineteenth century; decadent. The French meaning is “end of the century.”
9. gauche: awkward; lacking grace; without tact. It is French for “left-handed.” Lefties were thought to be clumsy (sinister in Latin). Another French meaning is “warped”
10. junta: a political group that seeks to control a government; a faction or cabal. In Spanish this word originally meant “to join.” In Spain, a junta was a legislative assembly; the word was corrupted to junto, which meant “clique” or “faction.” Today, we use the original word with its changed meaning.
11. laissez-faire: hands-off policy: letting business operate without government interference. There was a mid-eighteenth century school of French economists whose motto was laissez-faire, laissez-passer (“let us alone, let us have free passage for our goods”)
12. mot juste: the right word; exact phrase
13. non compos mentis: incapable of handling one’s own affairs; insane. In Latin, “not of sound mind.” This could be said of someone who has lost his memory and understanding by reason of disease or accident.
14. non sequitur: in logic this is a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence; a remark that seems out of place. The Latin meaning is “it does not follow.”
15. sine qua non: an essential condition; that which is indispensable. The Latin meaning is “without which not.”
Exercises
I. Which Word Comes to Mind?
In each of the following, read the statement, then circle the word that comes to mind.
1. A murderer who pleads temporary insanity
(laissez-faire, non compos mentis, cul-de-sac)
2. An ailing horse is being put out of his misery
(coup de grace, mot juste, gauche)
3. Several schemers plan a take-over
(fait accompli, junta, sine qua non)
4. You ask for her age and she says, “I’m five feet tall.”
(bete noire, fin de siecle, non sequitur)
5. Alban Berg was a composer who experimented with atonalities
(avant-garde, bot mot, dues ex machine)
6. The discussion centered around how history would characterize the last years of the twentieth century
(non sequitur, avant-garde, fin de siecle)
7. Loss of trust in a do-nothing leadership
(fait accompli, laissez-faire, junta)
8. The right word at the right time
(bot mot, gauche, non compos mentis)
9. It’s a pity but there was no alternative
(non sequitur, non compos mentis, sine qua non)
10. A weak spot
(bete noir, cul-de-sac, mot juste)
II. True or False?
In the space provided, indicate whether each statement is true or false.
____ 1. Being born in this country is a sine qua non for anyone running for presidency
____ 2. If you are in the avant-garde, you are inclined to the conservatism.
____ 3. Someone who always seems to get the better of you is your bete noire.
____ 4. It is considered gauche to sip your coffee from the saucer
____ 5. “Open sesame” was the mot juste
____ 6. Non sequitur refers to a leader who has no following
____ 7. A fait accompli is a done deed
____ 8. Laissez-faire invites people to do their own thing with few restrictions
____ 9. A creative writer will not find it necessary to resort to dues ex machine
____ 10. The fleeing criminal was lucky to find a cul-de-sac
III. Fill in the Blank
Insert one of the new words in the proper space in each sentence below.
1. The accused hoped his _______________ responses would corroborate his insanity plea.
2. The revelation that all the hero’s adventures were really a dream is the kind of _____________ that suggests a lack of originality by the author.
3. The thief was cornered when the police chased his car into a _______________.
4. The military ______________ promised to hold democratic elections as soon as the turmoil subsided.
5. As we approach the twenty-first century, I wonder if we will regard our ______________ as decadent as the previous one.
6. According to some pundits, the _______________ that is threatening the president’s reelection bid is his own wife.
7. Isn’t it strange that the _________________ you searched for at the party escaped you till you got home?
8. The discussion of abortion inevitably ends in a(n) ____________________.
9. The ___________________ for success in business is a wealthy father-in-law.
10. We laughed at Perry’s interest in a political career because his outstanding trait is his way of expressing himself.
IV. What’s the Antonym?
Which of the new words is most nearly opposite in meaning to the one provided?
1. superfluous ____________________
2. dexterous ____________________
3. competent ____________________
4. conservative ____________________
5. incipience ____________________
6. perfectly logical ____________________
7. strictness ____________________
8. just getting started ____________________
9. guardian angel ____________________
10. graceful ____________________
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