View source for Glossary of French words and expressions in English

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{{Original research|date=September 2019}}
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Many words in the English vocabulary are of [[French language|French]] origin, most coming from the [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]] spoken by the [[upper class]]es in England for several hundred years after the [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]], before the language settled into what became [[Modern English]]. English [[List of English words of French origin|words of French origin]], such as ''art'', ''competition'', ''force'', ''money'', and ''table'' are pronounced according to [[English language|English]] rules of [[phonology]], rather than French, and English speakers commonly use them without any awareness of their French origin.

This article covers French words and phrases that have entered the English lexicon without ever losing their character as Gallicisms: they remain unmistakably "French" to an English speaker. They are most common in written English, where they retain French [[diacritic]]s and are usually printed in italics. In spoken English, at least some attempt is generally made to pronounce them as they would sound in French. An entirely English pronunciation is regarded as a [[solecism]].

Some of the entries were [[Franglais|never "good French"]], in the sense of being grammatical, idiomatic French usage. Others were once normal French but have either become very old-fashioned or have acquired different meanings and connotations in the original language, to the extent that a native French speaker would not understand them, either at all or in the intended sense.

== Used in English and French ==

=== A ===
; {{anchor|A la}}[[wikt:à la|à la]]: short for ([[ellipsis]] of) ''à la manière de''; in the manner of/in the style of<ref>"I like my nature programmes à la Attenborough, where Nature is the subject matter and the presenter remains unobtrusive," Christina Odone, "Moving experiences should be private", ''The Daily Telegraph'', September 12, 1996.</ref>
; [[wikt:à fond|à fond]]: lit. "to the bottom"; thoroughly, completely, with maximum effort or intensity. Often used to describe giving one's all in a particular endeavor, as in "going à fond" in sports or other activities, or as in discussion "we discussed the subject à fond".
; [[à la carte]]: lit. "on the card, i.e. menu". In restaurants it refers to ordering individual dishes from the menu rather than a fixed-price meal. In America "à la carte menu" can be found, an [[oxymoron]] and a [[pleonasm]].
; [[wiktionary:à propos|à propos]]: regarding/concerning (the correct French is ''à propos <u>de</u>'') 
; affaire de cœur: lit. a love affair 
; [[wikt:aide-de-camp|aide-de-camp]]: lit. "camp helper"; A military officer who serves as an adjutant to a higher-ranking officer, prince or other political dignitary.
; [[wikt:aide-mémoire|aide-mémoire]]: lit. "memory aid"; an object or memorandum to help one to remember things, or a diplomatic paper proposing the major points of discussion.
; [[wikt:amour propre|amour propre]]: "Self-love", self-respect.
; [[amuse-bouche]] or amuse-gueule: lit. "mouth-amuser"; a single, bite-sized [[hors d'œuvre]]. In France, the exact expression used is ''amuse-gueule'', ''gueule'' being slang for mouth (''gueule'' is the mouth of a carnivorous animal; when used to describe a human mouth, it is vulgar{{mdash}}akin to "gob"{{mdash}} although the expression itself is not vulgar). The expression refers to a small mouthful of food, served at the discretion of the chef before a meal as an hors d'oeuvre or between main courses.
; [[ancien régime]]: a sociopolitical or other system that no longer exists, an allusion to pre-revolutionary France (used with capital letters in French with this meaning: [[Ancien Régime]])
; [[wikt:aperçu|aperçu]]: preview; a first impression; initial insight.
[[File:Aperitif for five.jpg|thumb|right|[[Apéritif]]s with amuse-gueules]]
; [[apéritif]] or aperitif: lit. [drink] that "opens" the appetite, a pre-meal drink.<ref>See the definition given in CNRTL's ''Trésor de la langue française'': "[https://www.cnrtl.fr/lexicographie/ap%E9ritif? Subst. masc. Boisson généralement alcoolisée, réputée stimulante pour l'appétit]", CNRTL.</ref> In colloquial French, ''un apéritif'' is usually shortened to ''un apéro''.
; appellation contrôlée: supervised use of a name. For the conventional use of the term, see [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée]].
; appetence: 1. A natural craving or desire 2. An attraction or affinity; from the French "appétence", derived from "appétit" (appetite). In French, this has a high [[register (sociolinguistics)|register]] language.
; {{anchor|Apres moi, le deluge}}[[après moi, le déluge]]: lit. "After me, the [[Flood myth|flood]]", a remark attributed to [[Louis XV]] of France, referring to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution. It is derived from [[Madame de Pompadour]]'s ''[[wikiquote:Madame de Pompadour#Sourced|après nous, le déluge]]'', "after us, the flood". The [[Royal Air Force]] [[No. 617 Squadron RAF|No. 617 Squadron]], famously known as the "Dambusters", uses this as its motto.
[[File:Striding Edge.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Arête]]]]
; [[arête]]: a narrow ridge. In French, also fishbone; edge of a polyhedron or graph; bridge of the nose.
; [[wikt:armoire|armoire]]: a type of cabinet; wardrobe.
; [[wikt:arrière-pensée|arrière-pensée]]: ulterior motive; concealed thought, plan, or motive.
; [[Art Nouveau]]: a style of decoration and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It takes capitals in French (''Art Nouveau'').
; [[attaché]]: a person attached to an embassy; in French it is also the past participle of the verb ''attacher'' (= to fasten, to tighten, to be linked)
; [[Fencing terms#Blade Work|attaque au fer]]: an attack on the opponent's blade in [[fencing]], e.g. beat, expulsion, pressure.
; {{anchor|Au contraire}}[[wikt:au contraire|au contraire]]: on the contrary.
; [[wikt:au courant|au courant]]: up-to-date; abreast of current affairs.
; [[wikt:au fait|au fait]]: being familiar with or know about something.
; au gratin: "with gratings", anything that is grated onto a food dish. In English, specifically 'with cheese'.
; [[wikt:au jus|au jus]]: lit. "with juice", referring to a food course served with sauce. Often redundantly formulated, as in 'Open-faced steak sandwich, served with au jus.' No longer used in French, except for the colloquial, ''être au jus'' (to be informed).
; {{anchor|Au naturel}}au naturel: 1. a. Nude. b. In a natural state: an ''au naturel'' hairstyle. 2. Cooked simply. Also used in French heraldry to mean "proper" i.e. in natural colours.
; [[au pair]]: a young foreigner who does domestic chores in exchange for room and board. In France, those chores are mainly child care/education.
; [[wikt:au revoir|au revoir]]!: "See you later!" In French, a contraction of ''Au plaisir de vous revoir'' ('to the pleasure of seeing you again').
; [[au sec]] :lit. "almost dry", reducing liquid to the point of almost being dry though the food is still moist.
; [[avant-garde]] (pl. ''avant-gardes''): applied to cutting-edge or radically innovative movements in art, music and literature; figuratively 'on the edge', literally, a military term, meaning 'vanguard' (which is a corruption of ''avant-garde'') or "advance guard", in other words, "first to attack" (antonym of ''arrière-garde'').
; {{anchor|Avant la lettre}}avant la lettre: used to describe something or someone seen as a forerunner of something (such as an artistic or political movement) before that thing 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". An alternative modern French version of this expression is ''avant l'heure''.
; [[avoirdupois]]: used in Middle English, ''avoir de pois'' = commodities sold by weight, alteration of Old French ''aveir de peis'' = "goods of weight". In Modern French, only used to refer to English weight measures, as in ''une livre avoirdupois'' (1 lb. avdp) as opposed to ''une livre troy'' (1 lb. troy).

=== B ===
; [[baguette]]: a long, narrow loaf of white bread with a crisp crust, often called "French bread" or "French stick" in the United Kingdom. In French, a ''baguette'' is any long and narrow stick-like object such as a chopstick; a rectangular diamond cut to 25 facets and a magic wand.
; [[banquette]]: a long upholstered bench or a sofa.
; [[wiktionary:beaucoup de|beaucoup de]]: Used interchangeably with the English equivalent of "lots of/many/a great number of". Appropriate when the speaker wants to convey a greater positive connotation and/or greater emphasis. Often used as an informal expression, mostly in small regional dialect-pockets in the Canadian Prairies and the American South, especially in Alberta and Louisiana respectively.
; [[wiktionary:beau geste|Beau geste]]: lit. "beautiful gesture", a gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substance. This French expression has been on the periphery of the standard English lexicon since the appearance of [[P. C. Wren]]'s ''[[Beau Geste]]'' (1924), the first of his Foreign Legion novels.<ref>''The New Fowler's Modern English Usage'', third edition, edited by R. W. Burchfield, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996, p. 98–99.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:beau idéal|Beau idéal]]: lit. "beautiful ideal," used to suggest the perfect or most supreme version of something to exist. The expression was coined during the late 18th century during the aesthetic period known as [[classicism]]. Invoking the balance and refinement of Greek and Roman art and architecture, the term was used for examples of such that conformed to purity, wholesomeness, equilibrium, and simple elegance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The beau idéal: a style for the Empire |url=https://madparis.fr/the-beau-ideal-a-style-for-the-empire |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Les Arts Décoratifs - Site officiel}}</ref> 
; [[Beaux arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]]: monumental architectural style of the early 20th century made famous by the [[Académie des Beaux-Arts]].
; [[wiktionary:bel esprit|bel esprit]] (pl. beaux esprits): lit. "fine mind"; a cultivated, highly intelligent person.
; [[Belle Époque]]: a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I.
; [[belles-lettres]]: lit. "fine letters"; literature regarded for its aesthetic value rather than its didactic or informative content; also, light, stylish writings, usually on literary or intellectual subjects.
; {{anchor|Bien entendu}}[[Wiktionary:bien entendu|bien entendu]]: well understood, well known, obvious – "of course".
; [[wiktionary:bien pensant|bien pensant]]: lit. "well thinking"; right thinking, orthodox. Formerly implied wilful blindness to dangers or suffering faced by others but, nowadays corresponds to "[[political correctness|politically correct]]". The noun form ''bien-pensance'' is rarely seen in English.
; billet-doux: lit. "sweet note", love letter<ref>"Except for the strong possibility that – like former Bishop Roddy Wright of Argyll and the Isles – I would, in fact, be breaking off to pen a billet-doux to a divorcée of the parish, or a furtive birthday card to my secret teenage son," Mark Lawson, "The boy who would be Pope", ''The Guardian Weekly'', September 21, 1996.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:blasé|blasé]]: unimpressed with something because of overfamiliarity, jaded.
; [[wiktionary:bon appétit|bon appétit]]: lit. "good appetite"; "enjoy your meal".
; {{anchor|Bon mot}}[[wiktionary:bon mot|bon mot]] (pl. ''bons mots'') : well-chosen word(s), particularly a witty remark ("each bon mot which falls from his lips is analysed and filed away for posterity", ''The European Magazine'', August 29 – September 4, 1996)
; [[wiktionary:bon vivant|bon vivant]]: one who enjoys the good life, an [[Epicureanism|epicurean]].
; {{anchor|bonvoyage}} [[wiktionary:bon voyage|bon voyage]]: lit. "good journey"; have a good trip!
; [[boudoir]]: lit. "sulking place"; a woman's private dressing or sitting room in a house.
; [[bourgeois]]: member of the [[bourgeoisie]], originally councilmen, burghers or even aristocrats living in towns in the [[Middle Ages]]. Now the term is derogatory, and it applies to a person whose beliefs, attitudes, and practices are conventionally middle-class.
[[File:Bric-à-brac shop at Nantucket.jpg|right|thumb|[[Bric-à-brac]]]]
; [[bric-à-brac]]: small ornamental objects, less valuable than antiques; a collection of old furniture, china, plates and curiosities. Cf. ''de bric et de broc'', corresponding to English "by hook or by crook", and ''brack'', refuse.
; [[bricolage]]: to improvise or assemble something useful from what happens to be at hand; to expedite or economize a project with readily available components, versus a kit or outside sources; to reuse spare parts for other than their original purpose; to create something new by arranging old material; to create a new, valuable purpose for an object that has completed its original purpose and would otherwise be discarded. Connotes an intrepid [[DIY|do-it-yourself]] spirit or clever repurposing. Differs from tinkering which merely modifies an existing arrangement. The term is used metaphorically to describe inventive philosophy, theories, and practices in business and academic fields, where new concepts are found in interactions of old ideas.
[[File:Brioche.jpg|right|thumb|[[Brioche]]]]
; [[brioche]]: a sweet yeast bun, kind of a crossover between a popover and a light muffin; French also use the term as slang for 'pot belly', because of the overhang effect.
; [[wikt:bureau|bureau]] (pl. ''bureaux''): government office; an agency for information exchange. Also means "desk" in French, and in the U.K.

=== C ===
; {{anchor|Ca ne fait rien}}ça ne fait rien: "that doesn't matter"; rendered as ''san fairy Ann'' in British World War I slang.<ref>Eric Partridge: ''Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'', 1951</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lawlessfrench.com/expressions/ca-ne-fait-rien/ |publisher=Lawless French |title=ça ne fait rien |access-date=December 31, 2016}}</ref>
; [[Hoard|cache]]: a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place (such as in an [[oubliette]]). Often used for weapons.
; [[cachet]]: lit. "stamp"; a distinctive quality; quality, prestige.
; [[café]]: a coffee shop (also used in French for "coffee").
[[File:Caffè latte as being served at Kaffebrenneriet Torshov, Oslo, Norway 2 600x600 100KB.jpg|right|thumb|[[Café au lait]]]]
; [[café au lait]]: coffee with milk; or a light-brown color. In medicine, it is also used to describe a birthmark that is of a light-brown color (café au lait spot).
; [[calque]]: a copied term/thing. In linguistics, a loan translation.
; [[wikt:canard|canard]]: ({{lang|fr|canard}} means "[[duck]]" in French)
# an unfounded rumor or anecdote. 
# a leading airfoil attached to an aircraft forward of the main wing. 
# a slang word for "newspaper".
# a piece of sugar slightly soused with coffee or cognac (or another strong alcohol).

; [[canapé]]: A small, prepared and usually decorative food, eaten by hand, often in one bite. In French, it can also refer to a "sofa".
; [[wikt:carte blanche|carte blanche]]: lit. "white card" (i.e. [[blank check]]); unlimited authority.
; [[carte de visite]]: lit. "visiting card"; a calling card.
; [[cause célèbre]]: controversial celebrity issue.

<!-- ED: sorry for Description-List formatting deviation -->
{{anchor|C'est la guerre}}'''c'est la guerre:''' "That's war!", or...

{{anchor|C'est la vie}}'''c'est la vie:''' "That's life!" or "Such is life!"

: Though either foreign expression can be used to say that life is harsh but that one must accept it, the former may imply a more deliberate cause <ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/c'est%20la%20guerre| title = C'est la guerre Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster}}</ref> and the latter more accidental.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/c'est%20la%20vie| title = C'est la vie Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster}}</ref>
[[File:Schäslong.png|right|thumb|[[Chaise longue]]]]
; [[chaise longue]]: a long chair for reclining; sometimes misspelled  "chaise lounge."
; Champs-Élysées: lit. "[[Elysium|Elysian Fields]]"; ''Avenue des [[Champs-Élysées]]'', one of the broadest boulevards in [[Paris]]. Often referred to as simply ''les Champs''.
; {{anchor|Chanteuse}}chanteuse: '(female) singer', a female singer, especially at a nightclub, bar, cabaret, or diner.<ref>"Step forward Naomi Campbell, supermodel, sometime novelist and now chanteuse, whose La La La song has sold 1.7 m copies in Japan alone," John Harlow, "Pop world laments dying scream of the teenyboppers chorus", ''The Sunday Times'', August 18, 1996.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chanteuse |title=Definition of CHANTEUSE |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/chanteuse |title=CHANTEUSE {{!}} definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary |website=dictionary.cambridge.org |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/chanteuse |title=chanteuse {{!}} Origin and meaning of chanteuse by Online Etymology Dictionary |last=Harper |first=Douglas |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-20}}</ref>
; [[chargé d'affaires]]: a diplomat left in charge of day-to-day business at a diplomatic mission. For example, within the United States Department of State, a "chargé" is any officer left in charge of the mission in the absence of the mission's titular leader.
; [[charrette]]: a collaborative session in which a group of designers draft a solution to a design problem.
[[File:Japanese chauffeur.jpg|right|thumb|[[Chauffeur]]]]
; [[chauffeur]]: driver.
; [[masterpiece|chef d'œuvre]]: a masterpiece.
; [[cherchez la femme]]: "look for / seek the woman", in the sense that, when a man behaves out of character or in an otherwise apparently inexplicable manner, the reason may be found in his trying to cover up an illicit affair with a woman, or to impress or gain favour with a woman. This expression was first used in a novel by [[Alexandre Dumas, père|Alexandre Dumas (père)]], in the third chapter of ''Les Mohicans de Paris'' (1854), in the form of ''cherchons la femme'' ("let's look for the woman"). The expression is found in John Latey's 1878 English translation: "Ah! Monsieur Jackal, you were right when you said, 'Seek the woman.'" The phrase was adopted into everyday English use and crossed the Atlantic by 1909.<ref>[http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cherchez-la-femme.html The meaning and origin of the expression: Cherchez la femme], The Phrase Finder.</ref>
; [[wikt:chez|chez]]: at the house of: often used in the names of restaurants and the like; ''Chez Marie'' = "Marie's".
; [[chic (style)|chic]]: stylish.
[[File:Chignon-jennadrudi.JPG|right|thumb|upright|[[Chignon (hairstyle)|Chignon]]]]
; [[chignon (hairstyle)|chignon]]: a hairstyle worn in a roll at the nape of the neck.
; [[cinéma pur]]: an [[avant-garde]] film movement which was born in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s.
; [[cinéma vérité]]: realism in documentary filmmaking. "Vérité" means "truth".
; [[cliché]]: originally referred to a printer's block used to reproduce type, compare the original meaning of [[Stereotype#Etymology|stereotype]]. A phrase that has become trite through overuse; a stereotype.
; [[clique]]:a small exclusive group of friends; always used in a pejorative way in French and, usually, in English. Often pronounced the same as "click" in [[British English]].
; [[cloisonné]]: an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects.
; [[commandant]]: commanding officer of a base, depot or training area. In France, used for an airline pilot ''(le commandant de bord)'', in the Army as appellative for a ''chef de bataillon'' or a ''chef d'escadron'' (roughly equivalent to a major) or in the Navy for any officer from ''capitaine de corvette'' to ''capitaine de vaisseau'' (equivalent to the Army's majors, lieutenant-colonels and colonels) or for any officer heading a ship.
; comme ci, comme ça: lit. "like this, like that"; neither good nor bad, so-so.
; [[communiqué]]: lit. "communicated"; an official communication.
; [[concierge]]: a receptionist at a hotel or residence.
; [[concordat]]: an agreement; a treaty; when used with a capital C in French, it refers to the treaty between the French State and Judaeo-Christian religions during the French Empire (Napoleon): priests, ministers and rabbis became civil servants. This treaty was abolished in 1905 (law Church-State separation) but is still in use in Alsace-Lorraine (those territories were under German administration during 1871–1918).
; confrère (also confrere): a colleague, an associate<ref>"Bush and his confrères are personally implicated in the current wave of corporate scandals," Jonathan Freedland, "How British Could Lose", ''The Guardian'', July 24, 2002</ref>
; [[Contrecoup injury|contre-coup]]: against the blow. This word describes the repercussion of a physical or mental shock, or an indirect consequence of an event.
[[File:The Photographer.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Contre-jour]]]]
; [[contre-jour]]: against daylight. This word (mostly used in art namely photography, cinema or painting) describes the light that illumines an object from the other side of your own point of view.
; [[wiktionary:contretemps|contretemps]]: an awkward clash; a delay.
; coquette: a flirtatious girl; a tease.
; [[cordon bleu (disambiguation)|cordon bleu]]: ({{lit|blue ribbon}}).  A "cordon bleu" may refer to several things, both in French and in English : 
# A person who excels in cooking. 
# An award given to such a person. 
# An international group of hospitality management and cooking schools teaching French cuisine, founded in France. 
# An escalope of veal, chicken or pork stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried.

; [[Cordon sanitaire (politics)|cordon sanitaire]]: a policy of [[containment]] directed against a hostile entity or ideology; a chain of [[buffer states]]; lit. "quarantine line".
; [[corniche]]: a road that clings like a ledge to the side of a cliff or mountain.
; [[Pickled cucumber|cornichon]]: a small pickled cucumber; French for "little horn".
; {{anchor|Cortege}}cortège: a funeral procession; in French has a broader meaning and refers to all kinds of processions.
; {{anchor|Coup de foudre}}[[wiktionary:coup de foudre|coup de foudre]]: lit. "thunderbolt" ("strike of thunder"); a sudden unforeseen event, usually used to describe [[wiktionary:love at first sight|love at first sight]].
; [[coup d'état]]: political coup, government overthrow
; [[coup de grâce]]: the final blow that results in victory ({{lit|blow of mercy}}), historically used in the context of the battlefield to refer to the killing of badly wounded enemy soldiers, now more often used in a figurative context (e.g., business).
; [[coup de main]]: ({{lit|a blow with the hand}}), means "help from someone". Example: "Besoin d'un coup de main?" means "Need help?"

; {{anchor|Coup de maitre}}coup de maître: stroke of the master, master stroke. This word describes a planned action skilfully done. See also [[wiktionary:tour de force|tour de force]] below
; coup de théâtre: a dramatic turn of events.<ref>"Altogether it was a fabulous coup de théâtre and a stunning deus ex machina," A. A. Gill, "Hello dollies, everywhere", ''The Sunday Times'', News Review, October 27, 1996.</ref>
; coup d'œil: lit. "a blow (or touch) of the eye"; a glance.
; [[haute couture|couture]]: litt. sewing. Fashion (usually refers to high fashion). ''haute couture'' in French.
; couturier: a fashion designer (usually refers to high fashion, rather than everyday clothes design. In French, it means 'tailor'; a ''couturière'' is a seamstress.
; [[wikt:crèche|crèche]]: a [[Nativity scene|nativity]] display; more commonly (in the United Kingdom), a place where children are left by their parents for short periods in the supervision of childminders; both meanings still exist in French.<ref>"Mother, 14, is denied school crèche", ''The Times'', August 31, 1996.</ref>
; [[crème brûlée]]: lit. "burnt cream"; a dessert consisting primarily of custard and toasted sugar, that is, [[caramel]].
; [[wiktionary:crème de la crème|crème de la crème]]: best of the best, "cream of the cream", used to describe highly skilled people or objects. A synonymous expression in French is ''fin du fin''.
; [[crème fraîche]]: lit. "fresh cream", a heavy cream slightly soured with bacterial culture, but not as sour or as thick as sour cream and does not curdle.
; [[crêpe]]: a thin sweet or savoury pancake eaten as a light meal or dessert.

[[File:Picswiss BS-55-89.jpg|right|thumb|[[Crêperie]]]]
; [[crêperie]]: a takeaway restaurant or stall, serving crêpes as a form of fast food or street food, or may be a more formal sit-down restaurant or café.
; [[critique]]: a critical analysis or evaluation of a work, or the art of criticizing. From [[Latin language|Latin]] ''criticus'', from [[Ancient Greek]] κριτικός (''kritikos'').
; [[croissant]]: a crescent-shaped bread made of flaky pastry; in French also the word for [[crescent]].
[[File:Welwyn Garden City cul-de-sac.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cul-de-sac]]]]
; [[cul-de-sac]]: originally "bottom of sack"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/cul-de-sac|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107155834/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/cul-de-sac|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2014|title=cul-de-sac - Definition of cul-de-sac in US English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries - English|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref> and used in English in anatomy since 1738. Used for [[dead end (street)|dead end]] (street) since 1800 in English, since 14th century in French.<ref>[https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/cul-de-sac] (in French)</ref> The often heard erroneous folk etymology "arse [buttocks] of the sack" is based on the current meaning of ''cul'' in French, but ''cul-de-sac'' is used to refer to dead ends in modern French and is not vulgar, though the terms ''[[:fr:impasse|impasse]]'' and ''voie sans issue'' are more common in modern French.

=== D ===
; [[wiktionary:de rigueur|de rigueur]]: required or expected, especially in fashion or etiquette.<ref>"Working during the summer is de rigueur for the majority of students," Peter and Lynne Boundy, "When parents are on the breadline", ''The Times'', September 10, 1996.</ref>
; de trop: unnecessary, unwanted, or more than is suitable.
; [[wiktionary:déclassé|déclassé]]: inferior.
; [[décolleté]]: a woman's garment with a low-cut neckline that exposes cleavage, or a situation in which a woman's chest or cleavage is exposed; [[décolletage]] is dealt with below.
; [[Interior decoration|décor]]: the layout and furnishing of a room.
; [[découpage]]: decoration with cut paper.
; [[demi-glace]]: a reduced wine-based sauce for meats and poultry.
; [[wiktionary:demi-sec|demi-sec]]: semi-dry, usually said of wine.
; [[déjà vu]]: lit. "already seen": an impression or illusion of having seen or experienced something before.
; [[dénouement]]: lit. "untying": the resolution of a narrative.
; [[dépanneur]]: ([[Quebec English]]) a [[convenience store]].
; [[Derailleur gears|dérailleur]]: a bicycle gear-shift mechanism.
; {{anchor|Dernier cri}}dernier cri: lit. "latest scream": the latest fashion.
; derrière: lit. "behind": rear, buttocks.
; [[wiktionary:déshabillé|déshabillé]]: partially clad or scantily dressed; also a special type of garment.
; [[détente]]: easing of diplomatic tension.
; digestif: a digestive aid, esp., an after-dinner drink, as brandy.<ref>"a sweet but intoxicating digestif", Satyr, "Into the mouths of babes and sucklings", ''The Observer'', Business, August 18, 1996.</ref>
; [[directeur sportif]]: lit. "sports director". A person responsible for the operation of a cycling team during a road bicycle race. In French, it means any kind of sports director.
; divertissement: an amusing diversion; entertainment.
; dossier: a file containing detailed information about a person.<ref>"But then the dossier will be buried and with it the real truth," Roger Faligot, "Grave issue that won't die down", ''The European'', August 8–14, 1996.</ref> In modern French it can be any type of file, including a computer directory. In slang, ''J'ai des dossiers sur toi'' ("I have files about you") means having materials for blackmail.
; [[Wiktionary:doyen|doyen]]: the senior member of a group; the feminine is [[Wiktionary:doyenne|doyenne]].<ref>"The late Elizabeth David, the doyenne of cookery writers, must be turning in her grave," ''Evening Standard'', London's Diary, September 12, 1996.</ref> Also dean (of faculty, or medicine).
[[File:Hannoveraner Dressur Goethe 3 bestes.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Dressage]]]]
; [[dressage]]: a form of competitive horse training, in French has the broader meaning of taming any kind of animal.
; [[droit du seigneur]]: lit. "right of the lord": the purported right of a lord in feudal times to take the virginity of one of his [[vassal]]s' brides on her wedding night (in precedence to her new husband). The French term for this hypothetical custom is ''droit de cuissage'' (from ''cuisse'': thigh).
; {{anchor|Du jour}}du jour: lit. "of the day": said of something fashionable or hip for a day and quickly forgotten; today's choice on the menu, as soup ''du jour''.<ref>"''Vanity Fair'', that glossy barometer of 'the importance of being fabulous', is planning an extended spread on London as the 'happening' city du jour," Douglas Kennedy, "We're finally speaking their language", ''The Sunday Times'', The Culture, October 27, 1996.</ref>

=== E ===
[[File:1811-Rosoli-Flacon.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[eau de Cologne]]]]
; [[eau de Cologne]]: a type of perfume, originating in [[Cologne]]. Its Italian creator used a French name to commercialize it, Cologne at that time being under the control of France.
; [[eau de toilette]]: {{Lit|grooming water}}. It usually refers to an aromatic product that is less expensive than a perfume because it has less of the aromatic compounds and is more for an everyday use. Cannot be shortened to ''eau'', which means something else altogether in French (water).
[[File:Eaudeviebottles.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[eau de vie]]]]
; [[eau de vie]]: lit. "water of life" (cf. [[Aqua vitae|Aquavit]] and [[whisky]]), a type of [[fruit brandy]].
; [[écarté]]: a card game; also a ballet position.
; [[wiktionary:échappé|échappé]]: dance movement foot position.
; [[éclair]]: a cream and chocolate icing pastry.
; [[wiktionary:éclat|éclat]]: great brilliance, as of performance or achievement. Conspicuous success. Great acclamation or applause.<ref>"I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds. We are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down to posterity with all the éclat of a proverb," Jane Austen, ''Pride and Prejudice'', 1813.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:écorché|écorché]]: flayed; biological graphic or model with skin removed.
; [[wiktionary:élan|élan]]: a distinctive flair or style.
; [[élan vital]]: lit. "vital ardor"; the vital force hypothesized by [[Henri Bergson]] as a source of efficient causation and evolution in nature; also called "life-force"
; embonpoint: a plump, hourglass figure.
; [[éminence grise]]: lit. "grey eminence": a publicity-shy person with little formal power but great influence over those in authority.
; [[en banc]]: court hearing of the entire group of judges instead of a subset panel.
; [[wiktionary:en bloc|en bloc]]: as a group.
; [[wikt:en coulisse|en coulisse]]: lit. "in the wings"; behind the scenes, out of public view. Originally a theatrical term referring to the side areas of a stage hidden from the audience's view, now used figuratively to describe activities conducted privately or away from public attention.
; [[wikt:en garde|en garde]]: "[be] on [your] guard". "On guard" is of course perfectly good English: the French spelling is used for the [[fencing]] term. 
; [[en passant]]: in passing; term used in chess and in [[axon|neurobiology]] ("[[synapse]] en passant.")
[[File:Plein Air Painters at Long Pond, Ringwood, NJ.JPG|right|thumb|En plein air]]
; [[wikt:en plein air|en plein air]]: lit. "in the open air"; particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.
[[File:Pointeshoe1.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[en pointe]]]]
; [[en pointe]]: (in ballet) on [[tiptoe]]. Though used in French in this same context, it is not an expression as such. A ''pointe'' is the ballet figure where one stands on tiptoes. The expression "en pointe", though, means "in an acute angle", and, figuratively, it qualifies the most progressive or modern things (ideas, industry).
; [[wikt:en route|en route]]:on the way. Often written and pronounced "on route" in British English.
; enfant terrible: lit. "terrible child"; a disruptively unconventional person.
; [[wiktionary:ennui|ennui]]: a gripping listlessness or melancholia caused by boredom; depression; in French, it means only "boredom".
; entente: diplomatic agreement or cooperation. [[Entente cordiale|L'Entente Cordiale]] (the Cordial Agreement) refers to the good diplomatic relationship between France and United Kingdom before the first World War.
; [[wiktionary:entre nous|entre nous]]: lit. "between us"; confidentially.
; [[entrée]]: lit. "entrance"; the first course of a meal (UK English); used to denote the main dish or course of a meal (US English).
; [[entremet]]s: 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.
; [[épater la bourgeoisie]] or épater le bourgeois: lit. "to shock the [[middle class]]es",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.m-w.com/dictionary/epater+les+bourgeois|title=Definition of EPATER LES BOURGEOIS|website=www.m-w.com|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref> a rallying cry for the French [[Decadent movement|Decadent poets]] of the late 19th century including [[Charles Baudelaire]] and [[Arthur Rimbaud]].<ref>[http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/Decadence.htm Decadence] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325184808/http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/Decadence.htm |date=2015-03-25 }}.</ref><ref>"Ruby day is a demi-clad femme fatale in pantomime boy's clothing, channelling Liza Minelli and EF Benson's Quaint Irene – as alluring to women as she is to men. You can just about see how it might ''épater la bourgeoisie'', without feeling for a second any outrage is justified," Rowan Pelling, "How is this painting 'pornographic' and 'disgusting'?", ''The Guardian'', July 8, 2014.</ref> 
; [[escargot]]: snail; in English, used only as a culinary term.
; [[esprit de corps]]: lit. "spirit of the body [group]": a feeling of solidarity among members of a group; morale. Often used in connection with a military force.
; [[esprit d'escalier|esprit de l'escalier]]: lit. "wit of the stairs"; a concise, clever statement you think of too late, that is, on the stairs leaving the scene. The expression was created by French philosopher [[Denis Diderot]].
; l'État, c'est moi!: lit. "I am the state!" — attributed to the archetypal absolute monarch, [[Louis XIV]].
; [[étude]]: a musical composition designed to provide practice in a particular technical skill in the performance of an instrument. French for "study."
; [[étui]]: small ornamental case for needles or cosmetics.
; [[wiktionary:excusez-moi|excusez-moi]]: "Excuse me".
; extraordinaire: extraordinary, usually as a following adjective, as "musician extraordinaire."

=== F ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Point of no return]] -->

; [[façade]]: the front of an edifice (from the [[Italian language|Italian]] ''facciata'', or face); a fake persona, as in "putting on a façade" (the ''ç'' is pronounced like an ''s'')
; {{anchor|Fait accompli}}[[wikt:fait accompli|fait accompli]]: {{see also|Fait Accompli (disambiguation)}} lit. "accomplished fact"; something that has already happened and is thus unlikely to be reversed; a done deal.<ref>"May I remind your readers that planning permission has not yet been sought for the [Foster] tower, nor is it a fait accompli," Paul Drury (English Heritage), Letters to the Editor, ''Independent on Sunday'', August 18, 1996</ref> In French, the term is primarily used in the expression ''{{lang|fr|placer/mettre quelqu'un devant le fait accompli}}'', meaning to present somebody with a fait accompli. Also see [[point of no return]].
; {{anchor|Faute de mieux}}[[wikt:faute de mieux|faute de mieux]]: for want of better.
; faites comme chez vous
:Make yourself at home.
;[[wikt:faux|faux]]
:false, [[ersatz]], fake.
; faux pas:lit. "false step": violation of accepted, although unwritten, social rules.<ref>Evelyn Waugh was very close to not being asked back to La Mauresque after one grave faux pas that Maugham, known for his stammer, did not find amusing. To his host's question about what a certain individual was like, Waugh replied characteristically, 'a pansy with a stammer'. He recalled, "All the Picassos on the wall blanched, but Maugham remained calm", John Whitley, "A little place in the sun", ''Telegraph Magazine'', August 17, 1996.</ref>
;[[femme fatale]]:lit. "deadly woman": an attractive woman who seduces and takes advantage of men for her personal goals, after which she discards or abandons them. It extends to describe an attractive woman with whom a relationship is likely to result, or has already resulted, in pain and sorrow.<ref>"Some femmes fatales play to a man's sexuality, some to his intelligence, but she just played to my damn ego," Ed Rollins, "Arianna", News Review, ''The Sunday Times'', August 11, 1996.</ref>
;[[feuilleton]]:lit. "little leaf of paper": a periodical, or part of a periodical, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, literature and art criticism, a chronicle of the latest fashions, and epigrams, charades and other literary trifles.
; fiancé(e):betrothed; lit. a man/woman engaged to be married.
;[[film noir]]:Lit. "black film": a stylized genre of movies from the 1940s and 1950s with a focus on crime and amorality.
; fils:lit. "son": used after a man's surname to distinguish a son from a father, as [[Alexandre Dumas, fils]].
; fin de siècle:The end of the century, a term which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom [[turn of the century]] and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another.
;[[flambé]]:a cooking procedure in which alcohol (ethanol) is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames, meaning "flamed" in French. Also used colloquially in reference to something on fire or burned.
; flambeau:a lit torch.
;[[flâneur]]:a gentleman stroller of city streets; an aimless idler.

[[File:Fleur de Lis wall.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Fleur-de-lis]]]]
; [[fleur-de-lis]]: a stylized-flower heraldic device; the golden ''fleur-de-lis'' on an azure background were the arms of the French Kingdom (often spelled with the old French style as "fleur-de-lys").

[[File:FleurDeSel.JPG|thumb|right|[[Fleur de sel]]]]
; [[fleur de sel]]: lit. "flower of salt", hand-harvested sea salt collected by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans. Is one of the more expensive salts; traditional French fleur de sel is collected off the coast of [[Brittany]] most notably in the town of [[Guérande]] (''Fleur de Sel de Guérande'' being the most revered), but also in [[Noirmoutier]], [[Île de Ré]] and [[Camargue]].

[[File:Foie gras en cocotte.jpg|thumb|right|[[Foie gras]]]]
; [[foie gras]]: fatty liver; usually the liver of overfed goose, hence: ''pâté de foie gras'', pâté made from goose liver.
; [[folie à deux]]: a simultaneous occurrence of delusions in two closely related people, often said of an unsuitable romance. In clinical psychology, the term is used to describe people who share schizophrenic delusions. The derived forms ''folie à trois'', ''folie à quatre'', ''folie en famille'' or even ''folie à plusieurs'' do not exist in French where "collective hysterics" is used.
; [[force majeure]]: an overpowering and unforeseeable event, especially when talking about weather (often appears in insurance contracts).
; [[wikt:forte|forte]]: Lit. "strong point" (of a sword). Strength, expertise, one's strong point.
; [[wikt:froideur|froideur]]: coldness (for behavior and manners only).

=== G ===
; [[wiktionary:gaffe|gaffe]]: blunder
; [[wiktionary:garage|garage]]: covered parking
; [[wiktionary:garçon|garçon]]: lit. "boy" or "male servant"; sometimes used by English speakers to summon the attention of a male [[waiter]] (has a playful connotation in English but is condescending and possibly offensive in French).
; [[wiktionary:gauche|gauche]]: lit. "[[Left (direction)|left]]". Clumsy, tactless.
; [[wiktionary:gaucherie|gaucherie]]: boorishness, clumsiness.
[[File:French Republican Guard cavalry DSC03152.JPG|thumb|Gendarmes]]
; [[Gendarme (disambiguation)|gendarme]]: a member of the [[gendarmerie]]; colloquially, a policeman
; [[gendarmerie]]: a military body charged with police duties
; [[wiktionary:genre|genre]]: a type or class, such as "the [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] genre".
; [[wiktionary:gîte|gîte]] : furnished vacation cottage typically in rural France.
; [[glissade (climbing)|glissade]]: slide down a slope.
[[File:Heidfeld and Rosberg - 2008 Melb GP.jpg|thumb|[[wikt:Grand Prix|Grand Prix]].]]
; [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]]:lit. "Great Prize"; a type of motor racing. English plural is ''Grands Prix.''
; [[Grand Guignol]]: a [[horror film|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.)
[[File:Grenadier-a-pied-de-la-Vieille-Garde.png|thumb|upright|Grenadier]]
; [[wiktionary:grenadier|grenadier]]: a specialized soldier, first established for the throwing of grenades and later as elite troops.

=== H ===
; habitué: one who regularly frequents a place.<ref>"Ed Victor, doyen of literary agents and habitué of the Hamptons, a celebrity playground in Long Island, New York State", P.H.S., "The Times Diary", ''The Times'', September 21, 1996.</ref>
[[File:Robe lacroix arles 2008.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Haute couture]]]]
; [[haute couture]]: lit. "high sewing": Paris-based custom-fitted clothing; trend-setting fashion
; [[Classical dressage|haute école]]: lit. "high school": advanced components of Classical dressage (horseback riding); when capitalized (Haute Ecole), refers to France's most prestigious higher education institutions (e.g., Polytechnique, ENA, Les Mines)
; hauteur: lit. "height": arrogance.<ref>"The French right-wing daily [''Le Figaro''] pleads for tolerance of American hauteur", "Press Watch", ''The European'', August 8–14, 1996.</ref>
; haut monde: lit. the "high world": fashionable society.
; [[Honi soit qui mal y pense]]: "Shamed be he who thinks ill of it"; or sometimes translated as "Evil be to him who evil thinks"; the motto of the English [[Order of the Garter]] (modern French writes ''honni'' instead of Old French ''honi'' and would phrase "qui en pense du mal" instead of "qui mal y pense"). The sentence ''Honni soit qui mal y pense'' (often with double n) can still be used in French as a frozen expression to mean "Let nobody think ill of this" by allusion to the Garter's motto. A more colloquial quasi-synonymous expression in French would be ''en tout bien tout honneur''.
; [[hors de combat]]: lit. "out of the fight": prevented from fighting or participating in some event, usually by injury.
; hors concours: lit. "out of competition": not to be judged with others because of the superiority of the work to the others.
; [[hors d'œuvre]]: lit. "outside the [main] work": appetizer.

=== I ===
[[File:MaryPickford13.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Ingénue]]
; [[wiktionary:idée fixe|idée fixe]]: lit. "fixed idea": obsession; in music, a [[leitmotiv]].
; [[impasse]]: a situation offering no escape, as a difficulty without solution, an argument where no agreement is possible, etc.; a deadlock.<ref>"This has provoked speculation that Yeltsin is too ill to be operated on. Perhaps the two German doctors offering their services can help resolve the impasse," Carey Scott, "Inside Moscow", ''The Sunday Times'', September 15, 1996.</ref>
; [[Ingenue (stock character)|ingénu(e)]]: an innocent young man/woman, used particularly in reference to a theatrical [[stock character]] who is entirely virginal and wholesome. ''L'Ingénu'' is a famous novella written by [[Voltaire]].

=== J ===
; j'accuse: "I accuse"; used generally in reference to a political or social indictment (alluding to [[J'Accuse…!]], [[Émile Zola]]'s exposé of the [[Dreyfus affair]], a political scandal that divided France from the 1890s to the early 1900s (decade) and involved the false conviction for treason in 1894 of [[Alfred Dreyfus]], a young French artillery officer of Jewish background).
; j'adoube: In [[chess]], an expression, said discreetly, that signals the intention to straighten the pieces without committing to move or capturing the first one touched as per the game's rules; lit. "I adjust", from ''adouber'', to dub (the action of knighting someone).
; je ne regrette rien: "I regret nothing" (from the title of a popular song sung by [[Édith Piaf]]: ''[[Non, je ne regrette rien]]''). Also the phrase the UK's then [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[Norman Lamont (1942)|Norman Lamont]] chose to use to describe his feelings over the events of September 16, 1992 ('[[Black Wednesday]]').
; {{anchor|Je ne sais quoi}}[[wiktionary:je ne sais quoi|je ne sais quoi]]: lit. "I-don't-know-what": an indescribable or indefinable 'something' that distinguishes the object in question from others that are superficially similar.
; {{anchor|Jeu d'esprit}}[[wiktionary:jeu d'esprit|jeu d'esprit]]: lit. "play of spirit": a witty, often light-hearted, comment or composition
; {{anchor|Jeunesse doree}}[[wiktionary:jeunesse dorée|jeunesse dorée]]: lit. "gilded youth"; name given to a body of young [[dandy|dandies]], also called the [[Muscadin]]s, who, after the fall of [[Maximilien Robespierre|Robespierre]], fought against the [[Jacobin (politics)|Jacobins]]. Today used for youthful offspring, particularly if bullying and vandalistic, of the affluent.<ref>"An investigation was started over allegations that the local jeunesse dorée had been involved in a drugs, drink and sex orgy in the cemetery," Roger Faligot, "Grave issue that won't die down", ''The European'', August 8–14, 1996.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:joie de vivre|joie de vivre]]: "joy of life/living".

=== L ===
; [[l'appel du vide]]: lit. "call of the void"; used to refer to intellectual suicidal thoughts, or the urge to engage in self-destructive (suicidal) behaviors during everyday life. Examples include thinking about swerving in to the opposite lane while driving, or feeling the urge to jump off a cliff edge while standing on it. These thoughts are not accompanied by emotional distress.
; [[laissez-faire]]:lit. "let do"; often used within the context of [[economic policy]] or [[political philosophy]], meaning leaving alone, or non-interference. The phrase is the shortcut of ''[[Laissez faire, laissez passer]]'', a doctrine first supported by the [[Physiocrats]] in the 18th century. The motto was invented by [[Vincent de Gournay]], and it became popular among supporters of [[free-trade|free trade]] and [[economic liberalism]]. It is also used to describe a parental style in developmental psychology, where the parent(s) does not apply rules or guiding. As per the parental style, it is now one of the major management styles. Used more generally in modern English to describe a particularly casual or "hands-off" attitude or approach to something, 
; [[Laissez-Passer|laissez-passer]]: a travel document, a passport
; [[laissez les bons temps rouler]]: [[Cajun]] expression for "let the good times roll": not used in proper French, and not generally understood by Francophones outside [[Louisiana]], who would say ''profitez des bons moments'' (enjoy the good moments).
; [[Lamé (fabric)|lamé]]: a type of fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns.
; [[lanterne rouge]]: the last-place finisher in a cycling stage race; most commonly used in connection with the Tour de France.
; [[wiktionary:lèse majesté|lèse majesté]]: an offense against a sovereign power; or, an attack against someone's dignity or against a custom or institution held sacred (from the Latin ''crimen laesae maiestatis'': the crime of injured majesty).
; 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)
; [[lingerie]]: a type of female underwear.
; [[littérateur]]: an intellectual (can be pejorative in French, meaning someone who writes a lot but does not have a particular skill).<ref>"Brunswick Street [...] a small-scale version of Manhattan's East Village, [...] where there is always an intense would-be litterateur scribbling madly at a corner table in some smoky dive," Douglas Kennedy, "Light relief in a tale of two cities", ''The Times Weekend'', August 24, 1996.</ref>
; louche: of questionable taste, but also someone or something that arouses somebody's suspicions.<ref>"She liked to alternate her smart parties with much more louche affairs at which drugs circulated as frequently as the cocktails," John Whitley, "A little place in the sun", ''Telegraph Magazine'', August 17, 1996.</ref>
; Louis Quatorze: [[Louis XIV|"Louis XIV" (of France)]], the Sun King, usually a reference to décor or furniture design. 
; Louis Quinze: [[Louis XV|"Louis XV" (of France)]], associated with the [[rococo]] style of furniture, architecture and interior decoration.

=== M ===
[[File:Keith Russell macrame 1.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Macramé]]]]
; [[macramé]]: coarse lace work made with knotted cords.
; madame : a woman [[pimp|brothel-keeper]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=New Fowler's Modern English Usage |title-link=A Dictionary of Modern English Usage |edition=3rd |pages=475}}</ref><ref>"I've always thought Anne Boleyn was a bit of a madame. She thought she could get away with anything," "Interview of Keith Michell", ''The Observer Review'', October 27, 1996.</ref> In French, a title of respect for an older or married woman (literally "my lady"); sometimes spelled "madam" in English (but never in French).
; mademoiselle: lit. "my noble young lady": young unmarried lady, miss.
; [[malaise]]:a general sense of depression or unease. Can also be used to denote complacency, or lethargy towards something.
[[File:Peultjes peultjes Pisum sativum mange-tout.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Mange tout]]
; [[mange tout (disambiguation)|mange tout]]: a phrase describing [[snow peas]] and [[snap peas]] ({{lit|eat-all}} because these peas can be cooked and eaten with their pod).
; [[manqué]]: unfulfilled; failed.
[[File:MGD08ToastPurpleGreenGoldDrums.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Mardi Gras]]]]
; [[Mardi Gras]]: Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the last day of eating meat, eggs and fatty foods 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")
; [[wiktionary:mauvais quart d'heure|mauvais quart d'heure]]: lit. "bad quarter hour": a short unpleasant or uncomfortable moment.
; [[wiktionary:mort de rire|mdr]]: Alt., MDR. Abbreviation in SMS, [[:wikt:mort de rire|akin to LOL]]; for ''mort de rire'' (''mort'', adj. or verb, past tense), or ''mourir de rire'' (''mourir'', verb, infinitive). Lit., as adjective or past tense, dead or [[wikt:die|die]]d [[laugh|of laughing]], so "died laughing" or "dying of laughter"; compare ''mort de faim'' for starve.
; [[mélange]]: a mixture.
; [[mêlée]]: a confused fight; a struggling crowd. In French also: a rugby scrum.
; [[ménage à trois]]: lit. "household for three": a sexual arrangement between three people.<ref>"Harry Walston had little option but to let [Graham] Greene form part of their unusual ménage à trois: Catherine had made it plain to Harry that if he wanted to keep her, Greene must remain part of her life," "P.H.S.", "The Times Diary", ''The Times'', September 21, 1996.</ref>
; [[Menagerie|ménagerie]]: a collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition.
; [[wiktionary:métier|métier]]: a field of work or other activity; usually one in which one has special ability or training.
; [[social environment|milieu]]: social environment; setting (has also the meaning of "middle", and organized crime community in French).
; [[milieu intérieur]]: the extra-cellular fluid environment, and its physiological capacity to ensure protective stability for the tissues and organs of multicellular living organisms.
; [[mirepoix (cuisine)|mirepoix]]: a cooking mixture of two parts onions and one part each of celery and carrots.
; [[mise en place]]: an assembly of ingredients, usually set up in small bowls, used to facilitate cooking. This means all the raw ingredients are prepared and ready to go before cooking. Translated, "put in place."
; [[wiktionary:mise en abyme|mise en abyme]]: lit. "placed into abyss": a literary and artistic technique where a work contains a smaller copy of itself, creating a potentially infinite recursive loop. The term can describe a story within a story, a play within a play, or any self-referential artistic device.
; [[mise en scène]]: the process of setting a stage with regard to placement of actors, scenery, properties, etc.; the stage setting or scenery of a play; surroundings, environment.
; [[mise en table]]: table setting.
; [[Montage (filmmaking)|montage]]: editing.
; {{anchor|Le mot juste}}le [[wiktionary:mot juste|mot juste]]: lit. "the just word"; the right word at the right time. French uses it often in the expression ''chercher le mot juste'' (to search for the right word).
; [[wikt:motif|motif]]: a recurrent thematic element.
; {{anchor|moue}}[[wiktionary:moue|moue]]: a type of [[facial expression]]; pursing together of the lips to indicate dissatisfaction, a [[pout (disambiguation)|pout]]. See [[snout reflex]].
; [[mousse]]: a whipped dessert or a hairstyling foam; in French, however, it refers to any type of foam or moss.

=== N ===
; [[naïveté]]
: Lack of sophistication, experience, judgement, or worldliness; artlessness; gullibility; credulity.
; [[né]], [[née]]
: lit. "born": a man's/woman's birth name ([[Married and maiden names|maiden name]] for a woman), e.g., "Martha Washington, ''née'' Dandridge."
; [[wikt:n'est-ce pas|n'est-ce pas?]]: "isn't it [true]?"
: asked rhetorically after a statement, as in "Right?".
; [[noblesse oblige]]: "nobility obliges"
: those granted a higher station in life have a duty to extend (possibly token) favours/courtesies to those in lower stations.
; [[Pseudonym|nom de guerre]]
: pseudonym to disguise the identity of a leader of a militant group, literally "war name", used in France for "pseudonym".<ref>"Bouncing out of the shower to investigate the commotion came a boxer whose nom de guerre says it all: the Grim Reaper," Peter Hillmore, "Pendennis", ''The Observer Review'', October 27, 1996.</ref>
; [[Pen name|nom de plume]]: a "back-translation" from the English "pen name": author's pseudonym.
: Although now used in French as well, the term was coined in English by analogy with ''nom de guerre''.
; [[wikt:nonpareil|nonpareil]]: Unequalled, unrivalled; unparalleled; unique
: the modern French equivalent of this expression is ''sans pareil'' (literally "without equal").
; [[nouveau]] (pl. nouveaux; fem. nouvelle; fem. pl. nouvelles): new.
; [[nouveau riche]]: lit. "newly rich"
: used to refer particularly to those living a garish lifestyle with their newfound wealth; see also [[arriviste]] and [[parvenu]].
; [[nouvelle vague]]: lit. "new wave."
: Used for stating a new way or a new trend of something. Originally marked a new style of French filmmaking in the late 1950s and early 1960s, reacting against films seen as too literary.

=== O ===

; [[objet d'art]]: a work of art, commonly a painting or sculpture; also a utilitarian object displayed for its aesthetic qualities
; [[wiktionary:œuvre|œuvre]]: "work", in the sense of an artist's work; by extension, an artist's entire body of work.
; [[opéra bouffe]]: musical comedy, satire, parody or farce.
; [[wiktionary:oubliette|oubliette]]: "little forgotten place": a type of dungeon accessible only from a hatch or hole in a high ceiling, making escape nearly impossible.
; [[wikt:outré|outré]]: exceeding the lines of propriety; eccentric in behavior or appearance in an inappropriate way

=== P ===
[[File:Pain au chocolat Luc Viatour.jpg|right|thumb|[[Pain au chocolat]]]]
; [[pain au chocolat]]: lit. "bread with chocolate." Despite the name, it is not made of bread but [[puff pastry]] with chocolate inside. The term ''chocolatine'' is used in some Francophone areas (especially the South-West) and sometimes in English.
; [[pain aux raisins]]: raisin bread.
; [[panache]]: verve; flamboyance.
; [[papier-mâché]]: lit. "chewed paper"; a craft medium using paper and paste.
; [[par avion]]: by aircraft. In English, specifically by air mail, from the phrase found on air mail envelopes.
; [[wiktionary:par excellence|par excellence]]: better than all the others, quintessential.<ref>"Fleur Cowles knows everybody who is anybody and mostly has the photographs to prove it. A saunter through her hallway produces more evidence of a networker par excellence," Mary Riddell, "How to make friends", ''The Times'', August 13, 1996.</ref>
; [[parc fermé]]: lit. "closed park". A secure area at a [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] circuit where the cars may be stored overnight.
[[File:Daniel Ilabaca.jpg|right|thumb|[[Parkour]]]]
; [[parkour]]: urban street sport involving climbing and leaping, using buildings, walls, curbs to ricochet off much as if one were on a skateboard, often in follow-the-leader style. Originally a phonetic form of the French word ''parcours'', which means "a run, a route" Also known as, or the predecessor to, "free running", developed by [[Sébastien Foucan]].
; '''parole''': 1) (in linguistics) speech, more specifically the individual, personal phenomenon of language; see [[langue and parole]]. 2) (in criminal justice) conditional early release from prison; see [[parole]].
; [[parvenu]]: a social upstart.
; [[pas de deux]]: lit. "step for two"; in ballet, a dance or figure for two performers, a duet; also a close relationship between two people.<ref>"A Mirage of Modernity: pas de deux of Consumption and Production", title of Hong Kong researcher Yan Hairong' contribution to ''Unquiet Migration'' (Hsiao-Chuan Hsia ed.), 2009.</ref>
; [[pas de trois]]: lit. "step for three"; in ballet, a dance or figure for three performers.
; [[wiktionary:passe-partout|passe-partout]]: a document or key that allows the holder to travel without hindrance from the authorities or enter any location.
; [[pastiche]]: a derivative work; an imitation.
; [[patois]]: a dialect; jargon.<ref>"But just because a word has briefly become part of the nation's playground patois, does that qualify it for a place in the OED?," Jon Stock,"Mish to explain – a rap session wiv yoof", ''Weekend Telegraph'', August 17, 1996.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:père|père]] : lit. "father", used after a man's surname to distinguish a father from a son, as in [[Alexandre Dumas, père]].
; [[peloton]]: in [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]], the main group of riders in a race.
; [[Pea|petit pois]]: small peas, often sold in the frozen food aisle.
; [[petite bourgeoisie]]: often anglicised as "petty bourgeoisie", used to designate the middle class.
; [[la petite mort]]: lit. "the little death"; an expression for the weakening or loss of consciousness following an intense [[orgasm]].
; [[Pied-Noir]] (plural Pieds-Noirs): lit. "black foot", a European [[Algeria]]n in the pre-independence state.
; [[pied-à-terre]] (also pied à terre) : lit. "foot-on-the-ground"; a place to stay, generally small and applied to a secondary residence in a city.<ref>"Prices of developments [at Rotherhithe] are rising as professionals working at Canary Wharf and elsewhere in Docklands seek a pied à terre", ''The Daily Telegraph'', August 14, 1996.</ref>
[[File:T Roosevelt.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Pince-nez]]]]
; [[pince-nez]]: lit. "nose-pincher", a type of spectacles without temple arms.
; [[piste]]: lit. "trail" or "track"; often used referring to skiing at a ski area (on piste) versus skiing in the back country (off piste).
; [[wiktionary:plage|plage]] : beach, especially a fashionable seaside resort.
; plat du jour: lit. "dish of the day"; a dish served in a restaurant on a particular day but separate from the regular menu.
; [[wiktionary:plongeur|plongeur]] (fem. plongeuse): a male (or female) dishwasher in a professional kitchen.
; {{anchor|Plus ça change}}[[wiktionary:plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose|plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose]] (or ''plus ça change, plus c'est pareil'') (often abbreviated to just ''plus ça change''): the more things change, the more they stay the same. An aphorism coined by [[Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr]].
; [[point d'appui]]:a location where troops assemble prior to a battle. While this figurative meaning also exists in French, the first and literal meaning of ''point d'appui'' is a fixed point from which a person or thing executes a movement (such as a footing in climbing or a pivot).
;[[porte-cochère]]:an architectural term referring to a doorway, sometimes ornate, intended for the passage of vehicles. Literally a "coach door". Written in French without the hyphen : ''porte cochère''
;[[poseur]]:lit. "poser": a person who pretends to be something he is not; an affected or insincere person; a wannabe.
;[[pot-au-feu]]:stew, soup.
; pour encourager les autres:lit. "to encourage others"; said of an excessive punishment meted out as an example, to deter others. The original is from [[Voltaire]]'s ''[[Candide]]'' and referred to the execution of Admiral [[John Byng]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1469618|title=Pour encourager les autres - Everything2.com|website=everything2.com|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref>
;[[wiktionary:pourboire|pourboire]]:lit. "for drink"; gratuity, tip; ''donner un pourboire'': to tip.
;[[prairie]]:lit. "meadow"; expansive natural meadows of long grass.
;[[prêt-à-porter]]:lit. "ready to wear"; clothing off the shelf, in contrast to ''[[haute couture]]''.
;[[prie-dieu]]:lit. "pray [to] God"; a type of prayer desk.
;[[prix fixe]]:lit. "fixed price"; a menu on which multi-course meals with only a few choices are charged at a fixed price.
;[[Mentorship|protégé]] (fem. protégée):lit. "protected"; a man/woman who receives support from an influential mentor.<ref>"[Daniel] Harding is a protégé of Sir Simon Rattle, himself once heralded as the great young hope of British Music," "Nigel Reynolds, Britain's latest prodigy takes up toughest baton", ''The Daily Telegraph'', September 12, 1996.</ref>
;[[Polemic|provocateur]]:an agitator, a polemicist.
;[[purée]]:lit. a smooth, creamy substance made of liquidized or crushed fruit or vegetables.

=== Q ===
{{unreferenced section |date=September 2019}}
; Quai d'Orsay: address of the French foreign ministry in [[Paris]], used to refer to the ministry itself.
; Quatorze juillet: "14th of July", usually called [[Bastille Day]] in English. The beginning of the [[French Revolution]] in 1789; used to refer to the Revolution itself and its ideals. It is the French National Day.
; quelle [[wikt:bonne|bonne]] [[wikt:idée|idée]]!: ''What a good idea!''
; quel [[wikt:dommage|dommage]]!: ''What a sad thing!'' (can be used sarcastically).
; quelle [[wikt:horreur|horreur]]!: ''What a horrible thing!'' (can be used sarcastically).
; quelle surprise!: ''What a surprising thing! (mostly used sarcastically)''

=== R ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Gustav III of Sweden]] -->
; [[raconteur]]: a storyteller.<ref>"Undoubtedly his modus operandi is not unlike the fluent pub raconteur who augments a story until he gets a laugh," Bill Bryson, "A Yank at the court of Little England", ''The Sunday Times'', August 11, 1996.</ref>
; [[wikt:raison d'être|raison d'être]]: "reason for being": justification or purpose of existence.
; [[rapprochement]]: the establishment of cordial relations, often used in [[diplomacy]].<ref>"Support for the Tibetan movement stopped in 1971 when President Nixon and Henry Kissinger pursued a policy of rapprochement with China." Brent Navarro, [http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/aacs/2007conference/Navarro_Brent_Assessing-Tibet-potential-as-an-Instability-for-China.doc Tibet: Assessing its Potential for China's Instability] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616083930/http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/aacs/2007conference/Navarro_Brent_Assessing-Tibet-potential-as-an-Instability-for-China.doc |date=2010-06-16 }}, September 15, 2007.</ref>
; [[reconnaissance]]: scouting, the military exploration outside an area that friendly forces occupy
; [[wikt:recueillement|recueillement]]: lit. "gathering" or "collecting oneself"; a state of quiet contemplation, meditation, or introspective reflection; spiritual or mental withdrawal for the purpose of prayer, thought, or reverence.
; [[refoulement]]: the expulsion of persons who have the right to be recognised as refugees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/refoulement/|title=Refoulement {{!}} United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization|website=www.unesco.org|language=en|access-date=2017-07-13}}</ref>
; [[Renaissance]]: a historical period or cultural movement of rebirth
; [[reportage]]: reporting; journalism.
; répondez s'il-vous-plaît. ([[RSVP (invitations)|RSVP]]): ''Please reply''. Though francophones may use more usually "prière de répondre" or "je vous prie de bien vouloir répondre", it is common enough.
; [[wikt:restaurateur|restaurateur]]: a restaurant owner.<ref>"A startling number of American restaurateurs have turned to caviar chic as a sure way of winning customers," Tony Allen Mills, ''Style'', September 15, 1996.</ref>
; [[wiktionary:revenant|revenant]]: lit. "one who returns": a person who returns from a long absence or from the dead; a ghost or apparition of a deceased person that is believed to have returned from the grave to terrorize the living. From the French verb ''revenir'' (to return). In folklore and gothic literature, revenants are typically corporeal undead beings, distinct from ethereal spirits, who return with a specific purpose such as revenge or to complete unfinished business. The term has been adopted in modern English to describe anyone who returns after a prolonged absence, particularly in dramatic or unexpected circumstances.
; [[Rive Gauche]]: the left (southern) bank (of the [[River Seine]] in Paris). A particular mindset attributed to inhabitants of that area, which includes the [[Sorbonne (building)|Sorbonne]]
; {{anchor|Roi faineant}}roi fainéant: lit. "do-nothing king": an expression first used about the [[king of France|kings of France]] from 670 to 752 (Thierry III to Childeric III), who were puppets of their ministers. The term was later used about other royalty who had been made powerless, also in other countries, but lost its meaning when [[parliamentarism]] made all royals powerless.
[[File:Thickening.jpg|right|thumb|[[Roux]]]]
; [[roman à clef]]: lit. "novel with a key": an account of actual persons, places or events in fictional guise.<ref>"This roman à clef sets out to recount the struggle between the media moguls Robert Maxwell [...] and Rupert Murdoch," "Review by Laurence Meyer of Jeffrey Archer's ''The Fourth Estate''", ''International Herald Tribune'', July 31, 1996.</ref>
; roué: an openly debauched, lecherous older man.
; [[roux]]: a cooked mixture of flour and melted butter (or other fat) used as a base in soups and gravies.

=== S ===
; [[Sacrebleu|sacre bleu]]: lit. "sacred blue": a dated French [[minced oath]] originating from the [[blasphemy|blasphemous]] "sacre dieu!" ("Holy god!").  Meant as a cry of surprise or happiness.
: French orthography is ''sacrebleu'' in one word.
; sang-froid: lit. "cold blood": coolness and composure under strain; [[stiff upper lip]]. Also pejorative in the phrase ''meurtre de sang-froid'' ("cold-blooded murder").
; [[wikt:sans|sans]]: without.<ref>"The pictures he took of [Julia] Roberts — sans new boyfriend — will run in the American tabloid ''The Star''," "Videonasties", ''The Sunday Times'', Style, August 18, 1996.</ref>
; [[sans-culottes]]: lit. "without knee-breeches", a name the insurgent crowd in the streets of Paris gave to itself during the [[French Revolution]], because they usually wore pantaloons (full-length pants or trousers) instead of the chic knee-length [[culotte]] of the nobles. In modern use: holding strong republican views.
; [[sauté]] : lit. "jumped", from the past participle of the verb sauter (to jump), which can be used as an adjective or a noun; quickly fried in a small amount of oil, stir-fried. ex: sauté of veau.
; [[Expert|savant]]: lit. "knowing": a wise or learned person; in English, one exceptionally gifted in a narrow skill.
; [[Savoir faire (disambiguation)|savoir-faire]]: lit. "know how to do"; to respond appropriately to any situation.
; [[wikt:savoir-vivre|savoir-vivre]]: fact of following conventional norms within a society; etiquette (etiquette also comes from a French word, ''étiquette'').
; [[wiktionary:sillage|sillage]]: lit. "wake" or "trail": the lingering scent trail left by perfume as someone passes by, or the degree to which a fragrance radiates from the wearer. From nautical terminology describing the track left by a ship moving through water. In perfumery, sillage is a key characteristic used to describe how a fragrance projects and how far it travels from the wearer's skin. By extension, the term can refer metaphorically to any lingering impression or influence that someone leaves behind after their departure, whether in conversation, art, or personal presence.
; [[sobriquet]]: an assumed name, a nickname (often used in a pejorative way in French).<ref>"Nigel Lawson used to be known by the sobriquet of 'Smuggins'," Peter Hillmore, "Pendennis", ''The Observer Review'', October 27, 1996.</ref>
; [[wikt:soi-disant|soi-disant]]: lit. "oneself saying"; so-called; self-described.
; [[wikt:soigné|soigné]]: fashionable; polished.
; [[wikt:soirée|soirée]]: an evening party.
; [[sommelier]]: a wine steward.
; [[wikt:soupçon|soupçon]]: a very small amount. (In French, it can also mean "suspicion".)
; [[soupe du jour]]: lit. "soup of the day", the particular kind of soup offered that day.
; succès d'estime: lit. "success of esteem; critical success"; sometimes used pejoratively in English.<ref>"So they come up with a succes d'estime and a series of flops d'estime follow," Christopher Fildes, "Take it easy Mr Bond, help is on the way – Miss Moneypenny will fix it", Business News, ''The Daily Telegraph'', August 17, 1996.</ref>

=== T ===
; tableau : chalkboard. The meaning is broader in French: all types of board (chalkboard, whiteboard, notice board ...). Refers also to a painting (see tableau vivant, below) or a table (chart).
[[File:Tropenmuseum Royal Tropical Institute Objectnumber 60006559 Tableau vivant voorstellende de Goudd.jpg|thumb|[[Tableau vivant]]]]
; [[tableau vivant]] : lit. "living picture"; the term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit.
; [[tenné]] : orange-brown, "rust" colour, not commonly used outside heraldic emblazoning.
; [[wiktionary:tête-à-tête|tête-à-tête]] : lit. "head to head"; an intimate get-together or private conversation between two people.
; toilette : the process of dressing or grooming. Also refers in French, when plural (''les toilettes''), to the toilet room.
; [[torsades de pointes]] : lit. "twisting around a point", used to describe a particular type of [[heart rhythm]].
; touché : lit. "touched" or "hit!": acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint or verbal riposte; comes from terminology in the sport of [[fencing]]. In French has a broader meaning (touched) as "emotionally touched".
; {{anchor|tour de force}}[[wiktionary:tour de force|tour de force]] (also tour-de-force) : lit. "feat of strength": a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment.<ref>"The focus of the salon was the magnificent chimney piece, a tour de force in moulded and faceted glass – and housing an up-to-date electric fire," Kenneth Powell, "Mayfair's hidden treasure", The Sunday Review, ''The Sunday Telegraph'', August 18, 1996</ref><ref>"The film begins briskly, with [...] a tour-de-force action scene in mid-air", Nigel Andrews, "Super hero into super-hulk", ''Financial Times'', August 22, 1996.</ref>
; {{anchor|Tout court}}tout court : lit. "all short": typically used in philosophy to mean "nothing else", in contrast to a more detailed or extravagant alternative. For instance, "Kant does not believe that morality derives from practical reason as applied to moral ends, but from practical reason tout court".
; tout de suite : right now, immediately. Often mangled as "toot sweet".
; [[tranche]] : lit. "slice": one of several different classes of securities involved a single financial transaction.<ref>"It [the proposed agreement] also involves the banks swapping at least £2 billion debt into two tranches of convertible securities which would, if converted, give them between 25% and 80% of the fully diluted equity," Jonathan Ford, "Tunnel debt talks hit conversion snag", ''Evening Standard'', Business Day, September 12, 1996.</ref>
; [[triage]] :during a medical emergency or disaster, the process of determining the priority of medical treatment or transportation based on the severity of the patient's condition. In recent years, in British English usage, the term has also been used in the sense of ''to screen'' or ''address'' something at the point of contact, before it requires escalation.
; [[tricoteuse]] : a woman who knits and gossips; from the women who knitted and sewed while watching executions of prisoners of the [[French Revolution]].
; [[trompe-l'œil]] : lit. "trick the eye"; photographic realism in fine-art painting or decorative painting in a home.
[[File:Trou-de-loup.png|right|thumb|[[Trou de loup]]]]
; [[trou de loup]] : lit. "wolf hole"; a kind of [[booby trap]].
; trousseau : 
# The [[Wardrobe (clothing)|wardrobe]] of a bride, including the [[wedding dress]] or similar clothing, or the bride's belongings 
# A [[dowry]]
# A [[hope chest]], glory box or its contents

=== V ===
; [[wikt:va-et-vient|va-et-vient]]: lit. "goes and comes"; the continual coming and going of people to and from a place.<ref>"This constant ''va-et-vient'' of fortune hunters is what gives Lhasa the impermanent, feverish atmosphere of a typical cowboy town," Ian Buruma, "Tibet Disenchanted", ''China File'', July 20, 2000 (first published in the July 20, 2000 issue of the New York Review of Books).</ref>
; [[wikt:venue|venu(e)]]:an invited man/woman for a show, or "one who has come"; the term is unused in modern French, though it can still be heard in a few expressions like ''bienvenu/e'' (literally "well come": welcome) or ''le premier venu'' (anyone; literally, "the first who came"). Almost exclusively used in modern English as a noun meaning the location where a meeting or event is taking place.
; [[wiktionary:vignette|vignette]]: generally, a decorative border in architecture, print and photography
; [[vin de pays]]: lit. "country wine"; wine of a lower designated quality than ''appellation contrôlée''.

[[File:Tomato Cucumber Salad.jpg|thumb|right|Salad with [[vinaigrette]] dressing]]
; [[vinaigrette]]: diminutive of ''vinaigre'' (vinegar): salad dressing of [[Vegetable oil|oil]] and [[vinegar]].
; [[wikt:vis-à-vis|vis-à-vis]] (also vis-a-vis): lit. "face to face [with]": in comparison with or in relation to; opposed to. From ''[[wikt:vis#Old French|vis]]'', an obsolete word for "face", replaced by ''visage'' in contemporary French.<ref>"De Gaulle was always proud of displaying 'la différence' vis-à-vis the Americans in the Arab world," Kirsty Lang, "They're not all right, Jacques", ''The Sunday Times'', October 27, 1996.</ref> In French, this is also a real estate vocabulary word, meaning that your windows and your neighbours' are within sighting distance (more precisely, that you can see inside of their home).
; [[Vive, Viva|vive]] [...]!: "Long live ...!"; lit. "Live"; as in ''"Vive la [[France]] !"'', ''Vive la [[French Republic|République]] !'', ''[[French Resistance|Vive la Résistance !]]'', ''Vive le Canada !'', or ''[[Vive le Québec libre]] !'' (long live free Quebec, a [[Quebec sovereignty movement|sovereigntist]] slogan famously used by [[French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]] in 1967 in [[Montreal]]). Unlike ''viva'' (Italian and Spanish) or ''vivat'' (Latin), it cannot be used alone; it needs a complement.
;[[wiktionary:vive la différence|vive la différence]]!: lit. "[long] live the difference"; originally referring to the [[Sex differences in humans|difference between the sexes]]; the phrase may be also used to celebrate the difference between any two groups of people (or simply the general diversity of individuals).
; [[wiktionary:voilà|voilà]] !: lit. "see there"; in French it can mean simply "there it is"; in English it is generally restricted to a triumphant revelation.
; volte-face: frenchified form of Italian ''volta faccia'', lit. "turn face", an about-face, a maneuver in [[marching]]; figuratively, a complete reversal of opinion or position.
; [[Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?|voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?]]: "Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?" or more appropriately, "Will you spend the night with me?" In French, ''coucher'' is vulgar in this sense. In English it appears in [[Tennessee Williams]]'s play ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire (play)|A Streetcar Named Desire]]'', as well as in the lyrics of a popular song by [[Labelle]], "[[Lady Marmalade]]."
; [[Voyeurism|voyeur]]: lit. "someone who sees"; a [[Peeping Tom]].<ref>"a nation of voyeurs: people who get their gustatory kicks from watching other people cook but don't actually do it themselves", Brenda Maddox, Cooking for kitchen voyeurs, The Times, September 11, 1996.</ref>

=== Z ===
; {{anchor|Zut alors}}zut alors!: "Darn it!" or the British expression "Blimey!" This is a general exclamation (vulgar equivalent is ''merde alors !'' "Damn it!").  Just plain ''zut'' is also in use, often repeated for effect: ''zut, zut et zut !'' There is an album by [[Frank Zappa]], [[pun]]ningly titled ''[[Zoot Allures]]''.  The phrase is also used on the ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' [[Weekend Update]] sketch by recurring character Jean K. Jean, played by [[Kenan Thompson]] as well as by [[John Goodman]]'s Dan Conner in an episode of ''[[Roseanne]]'' when Roseanne dresses up in a sexy outfit and has a ''boudoir'' photo taken of her as a birthday gift for her husband.

== Not used as such in French ==
Through the evolution of the language, many words and phrases are no longer used in modern French. Also there are expressions that, even though grammatically correct, do not have the same meaning in French as the English words derived from them. Some older word usages still appear in [[Quebec French]].

; {{anchor|A la mode}}[[wikt:à la mode|à la mode]]:fashionable; in the US it also describes a dessert with [[ice cream]] (as in "[[Pie à la Mode|apple pie à la mode]]") or, in some US regions, with cheese. In French, it mainly means "fashionable", "trendy", but is occasionally a culinary term usually meaning something cooked with carrots and onions (as in ''[[bœuf à la mode]]''). It can also mean "in the style or manner [of]"<ref>This usage is also illustrated by ''{{interlanguage link|Savez-vous planter les choux|fr}}'', a popular children’s song from the Middle Ages: ''Savez‐vous planter les choux [...] À la mode de chez nous'' translates to "Do you know how to seed cabbage ... Our way".</ref> (as in ''[[tripes à la mode de Caen]]''), and in this acceptation is similar to the shorter expression "[[wikt::à la|à la]]". The [[British English]] meaning and usage is the same as in French.
; accoutrement: personal military or fighting armaments worn about one's self; has come to mean the accompanying items available to pursue a mission, or just accessories in general. In French, means a funny or ridiculous clothing; often a weird disguise or a getup, though it can be said also for people with bad taste in clothing.
; [[appliqué]]: an inlaid or attached decorative feature. Lit. "applied", though this meaning does not exist as such in French. However "appliqué inversé" exists and has the same meaning as a reverse appliqué. Also an "applique murale" is a decorative [[Sconce (light fixture)|light fixture]] attached on a wall.
; [[après-ski]]: lit. "after skiing", socializing after a ski session; in French, this word refers to boots used to walk in snow (e.g. MoonBoots). Commonly used for the same thing as in English in Quebec.
; [[Fencing terms#Blade Work|arrêt à bon temps]]: A counterattack that attempts to take advantage of an uncertain attack in [[fencing]]. Though grammatically correct, this expression is not used in French. The term ''arrêt'' exists in fencing, with the meaning of a "simple counteroffensive action"; the general meaning is "a stop". A related French expression: ''s'arrêter à temps'' (to stop in time).
; [[wikt:artiste|artiste]]: a skilled performer, a person with artistic pretensions. In French: an artist. Can be used ironically for a person demonstrating little professional skill or passion in both languages.
; [[wikt:au naturel|au naturel]]: nude; in French, literally, in a natural manner or way (''au'' is the contraction of ''à le'', masculine form of ''à la''). It means "in an unaltered way" and can be used either for people or things. For people, it rather refers to a person who does not use make-up or artificial manners (''un entretien au naturel'' = a backstage interview). For things, it means that they have not been altered. Often used in cooking, like ''thon au naturel'': canned tuna without any spices or oil. Also in heraldry, meaning "in natural colours", especially flesh colour, which is not one of the "standard" colours of heraldry.
; [[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 means "author", but some expressions like ''cinéma d'auteur'' are also in use.
; [[wikt:bête noire|bête noire]]: a scary or unpopular person, idea, or thing, or the archetypal scary monster in a story; literally "black beast." In French, ''être la bête noire de quelqu'un'' ("to be somebody's black beast") means that you're particularly hated by this person or this person has a strong aversion against you, regardless of whether you're scary or not. The dictionary of the [[Académie française]] admits its use only for people, though other dictionaries admit it for things or ideas too. It also means that one is repeatedly defeated by a person, who is thus considered their archenemy (for instance, "Nadal is the bête noire of Roger Federer").
; [[boutique]]: a clothing store, usually selling designer/one off pieces rather than mass-produced clothes. Can also describe a quirky and/or upmarket hotel. In French, it can describe any shop, clothing or otherwise. The expression ''hôtel-boutique'' can be used to refer to upmarket hotels, but the word is recent and not as widespread as the equivalent expression [[boutique hotel]].
; [[boutonnière]]: In English, a boutonnière is a flower placed in the buttonhole of a suit jacket. In French, a boutonnière is the buttonhole itself. Yet the French expression "Une fleur à la boutonnière" has an equivalent meaning.
; c'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre: "it is magnificent, but it is not war" — quotation from [[Pierre Bosquet|Marshal Pierre Bosquet]] commenting on the [[charge of the Light Brigade]]. Unknown quotation in French.
; [[wikt:cause célèbre|cause célèbre]]: An issue arousing widespread controversy or heated public debate, lit. 'famous cause'. It is correct grammatically, but the expression is not used in French.
; {{anchor|Chacun a son gout}}chacun à son goût: "each to his own taste," i.e. ''[[de gustibus non est disputandum]]'' or "there's no accounting for tastes." The French phrase was popularized by its use in the aria "Ich lade gern mir Gäste ein" from [[Johann Strauss]]'s operetta ''[[Die Fledermaus]]'' (1874). The correct expressions in French would be ''chacun ses goûts / à chacun ses goûts / à chacun son goût'': "to each his/her own taste(s)."
; chanson: a classical "art song", equiv. to the German ''Lied'' or the Italian ''aria''; or, in Russian, a [[:ru:Шансон|cabaret-style sung narrative]], usually rendered by a guttural male voice with guitar accompaniment. In French, it can be used to refer to any song, but it also refers to the same music genre as in English (someone practicing this genre being generally called a ''chansonnier'' in Quebec, especially if they sing at a restaurant or cabaret).
; [[château]]: a manor house or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions. The word château is also used for castles in French, so where clarification is needed, the term château fort ("strong castle") is used to describe a castle.
; [[chef]]: in English, a person who cooks professionally for other people. In French the word means "head" or "chief"; a professional cook is a ''cuisinier'' ({{lit|cook}}), ''chef-cuisinier'' referring to a head cook. Also, '''sous-chef''', the second-in-command, directly under the head chef. Traditionally, ''chef'' used to means the head, for example a "couvre-chef" is a headgear, but by extension it's often used in job titles, military ranks, for a person in charge or who leads a group of people: "chef d'État" ({{lit|Head of State|Chief of State}}), "chef d'entreprise" ("Business executive"), "chef d'orchestre" (Conductor of an Orchestra), "sergeant-chef" (Staff Sergeant), "chef de gare" (stationmaster), "chef de famille" (head of household), etc. More casually in a work context, a ''chef'' is a boss.
; [[cinq à sept]]: extraconjugal affair between five and seven pm. In French, though it can also mean this, it primarily means any relaxing time with friends between the end of work and the beginning of the marital obligations. In Quebec French, it is also used as a synonym for "Happy Hour" by bars and restaurants that serve discounted drinks after working hours.
; [[claque]]: a group of admirers; in French, "la claque" is a group of people paid to applaud or disturb a piece at the theatre, though the common meaning of "claque" is "a slap"; ''clique'' is used in this sense (but in a pejorative way).
; [[connoisseur]]: an expert in wines, fine arts, or other matters of culture; a person of refined taste. It is spelled ''conn'''a'''isseur'' in modern French ({{lit|someone who knows}}).
; [[corsage]]: A bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's dress or worn around her wrist. In French, it refers to a woman's chest (from shoulder to waist) and, by extension, the part of a woman's garment that covers this area.
; [[coup de main]] (pl. coups de main): a surprise attack. In French, ''[donner] un coup de main'' means "[to give] a hand" (to give assistance). Even if the English meaning exists as well (as in ''faire le coup de main''), it is old-fashioned.
; [[coup d'état]] (pl. coups d'état):a sudden change in government by force; literally "hit (blow) of state." French uses the capital É, because the use of a capital letter alters the meaning of the word ('''É'''tat: a State, as in a country; '''é'''tat: a state of being). It also cannot be shortened as ''coup'' as is often the case in English- because this literally means a "hit" in French, but can be used figuratively to mean many more things.
; [[wiktionary:début|début]]:first public performance of an entertainment personality or group. In French, it means "beginning." The English meaning of the word exists only when in the plural form: ''[faire] ses débuts [sur scène]'' (to make one's débuts on the stage). The English meaning and usage also extends to sports to denote a player who is making their first appearance for a team or at an event.
; [[décolletage]]: a low-cut neckline, cleavage. In French it 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]]. A low-cut neckline, or its shape, would in French be called ''un décollet'''é''''' (noun and adjective): ''un décolleté profond'', a deep décolletage; ''une robe très décolletée'', a dress with very low neckline.
; [[Demarche|démarche]]: a decisive step. In French, it means a preparing step (often used in the plural form), a specific set of steps to get a specific result (can be used in the singular form, sometimes the expression "marche à suivre" ({{lit|step to follow}}) will be preferred), or a distinctive way of walking.
; [[dépanneur]]: a neighbourhood general/convenience store, term used in eastern Canada (often shortened to ''dép'' or ''dep''). This term is commonly used in Canadian French; however, in France, it means a repairman or tow truck operator. In France, a convenience store would be a ''supérette'' or ''épicerie [de quartier]''.
; [[émigré]]: one who has emigrated for political reasons. French also use the word ''exilé'' (exiled) or ''réfugié'' (refugee) or even "exilé politique" or "réfugié politique".
; [[encore (concert)|encore]]: A request to repeat a performance, as in ''Encore!'', lit. 'again'; also used to describe additional songs played at the end of a [[concert|gig]]. Francophones would say « Une autre ! » ('Another one!') or «Bis !» to request « un rappel » or « un bis ».
; {{anchor|En masse}}[[wiktionary:en masse|en masse]]: in a mass or group, all together. In French, ''masse'' refers only to a physical mass, whether for people or objects. It cannot be used for something immaterial, like, for example, the voice: "they all together said 'get out'" would be translated as ''ils ont dit 'dehors' en chœur'' ([like a chorus]). Also, ''en masse'' refers to numerous people or objects (a crowd or a mountain of things). In colloquial Québécois French, it means "a bunch" (as in ''il y avait du monde en masse'', "there was a bunch of people").
; [[en suite]]:as a set (not to be confused with ''ensuite'', meaning "then"). Can refer, in particular, to hotel rooms with attached private bathroom, especially in Britain where hotels without private facilities are more common than in North America. In French, ''suite'', when in the context of a hotel, already means several rooms following each other. ''J'ai loué une suite au Ritz'' would be translated as "I rented a suite at the Ritz." ''En suite'' is not grammatically incorrect in French, but it is not an expression in itself and it is not used. Also used in [[British English]] to denote a [[bathroom]] that is accessible directly from the [[Bedroom|master bedroom]] of a house (usually with a connecting door), rather than by a separate entrance.
; [[entrée]]: lit. "entrance"; in French, the first dish that starts a meal, i.e. the entrance to the meal. It can refer to a set of bites or small snacks, or a small dish served before a main course. The main dish or "plat de résistance" comes after the entrée. In American English, the meaning has migrated to "main dish". In other varieties of English it maintains its French meaning.
; [[épée]]: a fencing weapon descended from the duelling sword. In French, apart from fencing (the sport) the term is more generic: it means sword.
; [[escritoire]]: a writing table. It is spelt ''écritoire'' in modern French.
; [[Exposé (journalism)|exposé]]: a published exposure of a fraud or scandal (past participle of "to expose"); in French refers to a talk or a report on any kind of subject.
; [[femme]]: a stereotypically effeminate gay man or lesbian (slang, pronounced as written). In French, ''femme'' (pronounced 'fam') means "woman."
; [[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. In French, it means "end of the century", but it isn't a recognized expression as such. The French expression "ambiance [de] fin de règne" ({{lit|end-of-reign atmosphere}}) also has a light connotation of boredom and decadence.
; [[wikt:forte|forte]]: a strength, a strong point, typically of a person, from the French ''fort(e)'' (strong) and/or Italian ''forte'' (strong, esp. "loud" in music) and/or Latin ''forte'' (neuter form of ''fortis'', strong). French uses ''fort(e)'' for both people and objects.
: 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'' [French doesn't pronounce the final "t"]. 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."
: The New Oxford Dictionary of English derives it from fencing. In French, ''le fort d'une épée'' is the third of a blade nearer the hilt, the strongest part of the sword used for parrying.

; [[hors d'oeuvres]]: term used for the snacks served with drinks before a meal. Literally "outside of the work". The French use ''apéritif'' to refer to the time before a meal and the drinks consumed during that time, yet "hors d'œuvre" is a synonym of "entrée" in French and means the first dish that starts a meal. At home in family circles it means more specifically seasoned salads taken as a starter. In Québécois French, ''apéritif'' refers to the drink only, and ''hors-d'œuvre'' (usually plural) refers to a set of bites, while an ''entrée'' is a small dish (an ''entrée'' can be made as ''hors-d'œuvres'', but not all of them are).
; [[:wiktionary:fr:fr:lavatoire|lavatoire]] or [[Wiktionary:lavatory|lavatory]]: A once commonly used British term for a toilet or [[water closet]]. Before the age of the internet, it was commonly believed, and widely taught in schools in Britain, that the word "toilet" was a rather vulgar corruption of the French word "[[:fr:toilettes|toilettes]]" and that "lavatory" was the correct expression to use because it was much closer in meaning to the French the word it was derived from, "''lavatoire''," which was supposed{{cn|date=May 2024}} to mean "to wash, or to clean, yourself." Actually, though the word ''lavatoire'' does exist in French, it never meant a toilet or a bathroom. The ''lavatoire'' was the holy stone upon which the bodies of ecclesiastics, priest and members of the clergy, were once washed after their deaths, in order to prepare them for the afterlife, for their journey to heaven.{{cn|date=May 2024}}
; [[Marquee (sign)|marquee]]:the sign above a theater that tells you what is playing. From ''marquise'', which means not only a marchioness but also an awning. Theater buildings are generally old and nowadays there is never such a sign above them; there is only the advertisement for the play (''l'affiche''). In English, means a temporary structure (often made of canvas or similar material) which is erected to host an event outdoors, especially in the UK, where such events can often be affected by weather conditions (pronounced ''mar-key'').
; {{visible anchor|nostalgie de la boue}}: "yearning for the mud"; attraction to what is unworthy, crude or degrading.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nostalgie+de+la+boue|title=Definition of NOSTALGIE DE LA BOUE|website=www.merriam-webster.com|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref> Though grammatically correct, it is not used in French.
; objet trouvé: an ordinary object, such as a piece of driftwood, a shell, or a manufactured article, that is treated as an ''objet d'art'' because it is aesthetically pleasing.<ref>"Throughout the year, the acquisition of a new vase or photograph, or the discovery of an object trouvé – a skeleton leaf, a fragment of painted paper, an intriguingly shaped piece of wood – is the excuse for a bout of rearranging," Elspeth Thompson, "Still life with Agnès", ''The Sunday Telegraph Magazine'', August 18, 1996.</ref> In French, ''les objets trouvés'', short for ''le bureau des objets trouvés'', means the lost-and-found, the lost property.
; [[wikt:outré|outré]]: out of the ordinary, unusual. In French, it means outraged (for a person) or exaggerated, extravagant, overdone (for a thing, esp. a praise, an actor's style of acting, etc.); in that second meaning, belongs to "literary" style.
; [[passé]]: out of fashion. The correct expression in French is ''passé de mode.'' Passé means past, passed, or (for a colour) faded.
; [[peignoir]]: a woman's dressing gown. Peignoir means [[bathrobe]] in French (for either sex, in absorbent material), whereas a dressing gown is called ''robe de chambre'' also regardless of sex. Peignoir and robe de chambre may be used interchangeably, as bathrobe and dressing gown in english.
; [[pièce d'occasion]]: "occasional piece"; item written or composed for a special occasion. In French, it means "second-hand hardware." Can be shortened as ''pièce d'occas{{'}}'' or even ''occas{{'}}'' (pronounced /okaz/).
; [[portmanteau]] (pl. portmanteaux): In English, a portmanteau is a large piece of luggage for clothes that opens (like a book or a diptych) into two parts. From this literal sense, [[Lewis Carroll]], in his novel ''[[Through the Looking Glass]]'', playfully coined a further [[Literal and figurative language|figurative]] sense for ''portmanteau'': a word that fuses two or more words or parts of words to give a combined meaning. (For example, "[[Brexit]]" or "[[emoticon]]"). In French, ''portemanteau'' ({{lit|carry-coat}}) was originally a person who carried the royal coat or dress train; now a large suitcase; more often, a [[clothes hanger]]. The equivalent of the English ''portmanteau word'' is ''un mot-valise'' ({{lit|word-suitcase}}).
; [[potpourri]]: medley, mixture; French write it ''pot-pourri'', literally 'rotten pot': primarily a pot in which different kinds of flowers or spices are put to dry for years for the scent.
; [[wikt:précis|précis]]: a concise summary. In French, when talking about a school course, it means an abridged book about the matter. Literally, ''précis'' means precise, accurate.
; [[première]]: refers to the first performance of a play, a film, etc. "La première" is used in same way in French, but it more generally means "the first".
; [[wikt:raisonneur|raisonneur]]: a type of author intrusion in which a writer inserts a character to argue the author's viewpoint; alter ego, sometimes called 'author avatar'. In French, a ''raisonneur'' is a character in a play who stands for morality and reason, i.e., not necessarily the author's point of view. The first meaning of this word though is a man (fem. ''raisonneuse'') who overdoes reasonings, who tires by objecting with numerous arguments to every order.
; [[wikt:recherché|recherché]]: lit. searched; obscure; pretentious. In French, means 'sophisticated' or 'delicate', or simply 'studied', without the negative connotations of the English.
; [[wikt:rendezvous|rendezvous]]: lit. "present yourself" or "proceed to"; a meeting, appointment, or date in French. In English, it generally endorses a mysterious overtone and refers to a one-on-one meeting with someone for another purpose than a date. Always hyphenated in French: ''rendez-vous''. Its only accepted abbreviation in French is RDV. The word is derived from the imperative form of the reflexive verb **se rendre**.<ref><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.conjuga.app/french%20conjugation/french%20expressions/2025/09/18/french-verb-conjugation-verbe-se-rendre-rendezvous/">"Rendezvous: Mastering the Verb 'Se Rendre' and Its Famous French Expression"</a>. Conjuga.app<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">September 19, 2025</span></span>.</cite></ref>

; [[reprise]]:repetition of previous music in a suite, programme, etc. and also applied to an actor who resumes a role that they have played previously. In French, it may mean an alternate version of a piece of music, or a [[cover version]], or the rebroadcast of a show, piece or movie that was originally broadcast a while ago (although the term ''rediffusion'' is generally preferred, especially when talking about something on television). To express the repetition of a previous musical theme, French would exclusively use the Italian term [[Coda (music)|coda]].
; [[résumé]]: in [[North American English]], a document listing one's qualifications for employment. In French, it means summary; French speakers would use instead ''curriculum vitæ'', or its abbreviation, C.V. (like most other English speakers).
; [[wikt:risqué|risqué]] '''(also risque)''': sexually suggestive; in French, the meaning of ''risqué'' is "risky", with no sexual connotation. Francophones use instead ''osé'' ({{lit|daring}}) or sometimes ''dévergondé'' (very formal language). ''Osé'', unlike ''dévergondé'', cannot be used for people themselves, only for things (such as pictures) or attitudes.
; ''rouge'' ({{lit|red}}) : 1) a [[rouge (cosmetics)|rouge]] is red makeup, also called blusher. ''Rouge à lèvres'' is French for "lipstick", even if the lipstick is not red at all. The French equivalent to the English meaning is "fard à joues"; 2) in [[Canadian football]], a [[Single (football)|rouge]] is awarded when the ball is kicked into the end zone by any legal means, other than a successful field goal, and the receiving team does not return or kick the ball out of its end zone.
; [[séance]] : a gathering, usually using a 'medium', attempting to communicate with the dead. In French, the word means 'sitting' and usually refers to any kind of meeting or session.
; [[table d'hôte]] (pl. tables d'hôte): in English, when used it usually refers to type of meal: a full-course meal offered at a fixed price. However, in French, it refers to a type of lodging: the closest English equivalent would be "a bed & breakfast" or "B&B." The origin of the meaning (for French speakers) is that at a table d'hôte (literally "table of the house" or "table of the host"), unlike at a full-service purpose-built hotel, all patrons eat together at the host's table, whatever the family have prepared for themselves (typically traditional regional dishes). Indeed, in France today a lodging labeled "table d'hôte" might perhaps not even offer food; the appellation meaning what an English-speaker would think of as a "bed & breakfast -style" family-home lodging (as opposed to a purpose-built hotel). In Quebec, ''table d'hôte'' generally has the same meaning as in English, the expression ''couette et café'' ({{lit|duvet and coffee}}) is generally used to talk about B&B style accommodations, where the English expression is not used.
; [[tableau vivant]] (pl. tableaux vivants, often shortened as ''tableau''): in drama, a scene where actors remain motionless as if in a picture. ''Tableau'' means painting, ''tableau vivant'', living painting. In French, it is an expression used in body painting.
; touché: acknowledgment of an effective counterpoint. In French, used for "emotionally touched".
; [[Vignette (literature)|vignette]]: a brief description; a short scene. In French, it is a small picture or a [[thumbnail]]. By extension a [[Vignette (road tax)|vignette]] is the name of a compulsory road tax in the form of a small sticker affixed to a vehicle windscreen, which is now also used in several European countries.

== Found only in English ==<!-- This section is linked from [[Pseudo-Anglicism]] -->
{{unreferenced section |date=September 2019}}
[[Image:Lise Thibault-flags.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A Canadian [[aide-de-camp]]]]

; [[aide-de-camp]]: "camp assistant"; in the army, a military assistant to a senior military officer (heads of State are considered military officers because of their status as head of the army). In Canada, it may also refer to the honorary position a person holds as a personal assistant to a high civil servant. It exists in French too but is written ''aide de camp'' (without any hyphens).
; apprise: "to inform"; used to substitute the verb ''to inform'' when the information is crucial. Its French meaning is the feminine past participle of ''to learn'' [apprendre]. In English, when followed by an object it is used with the preposition ''of''. Example without object: ''Please, apprise me''. Example with object: ''he apprised of it''.
; [[cinquefoil]]: five-petal, five-leaf flower of the genus Potentilla, family Rosaceae; also a circular 5-lobed ornamental design. Spelled ''quintefeuille'' in French.
; [[wiktionary:cri du coeur|cri de cœur]]: "cry from the heart": an impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest. In French, the exact expression is ''cri '''du''' cœur''.
; [[demi-monde]]: a class of women of ill repute; a fringe group or subculture. Fell out of use in the French language in the 19th century. Frenchmen still use ''une demi-mondaine'' to qualify a woman that lives (exclusively or partially) off the commerce of her charms but in a high-life style.
; [[double entendre]]: a figure of speech wherein a word or phrases can be taken to have two distinct coherent meanings, most often in a fashion that is suggestive and/or ironic. "Entendre" is an infinitive verb ("to hear"), not a noun; a correct rendering would be "à double entente", an adjectival phrase meaning "of a double understanding or double interpretation" (literally, "with a double hearing"). The modern French phrase is "à double sens".<!-- According to etymonline "entendre" is archaic, not incorrect. -->
; {{anchor|In lieu}}[[wikt:in lieu|in lieu]] (of): "in place (of)"; partially translated from the existing French phrase ''au lieu (de)''.
; [[legerdemain|léger de main]] (legerdemain): "light of hand": [[sleight of hand]], usually in the context of deception or the art of stage magic tricks. Meaningless in French; the equivalent is ''un tour de passe-passe''. <!-- redirects to sleight of hand, which has it as léger de main, not sure if I should pipe or not -->
; [[maître d']]:translates literally as ''master o'''. The French term for [[head waiter]] (the manager of the service side of a restaurant) is ''maître d'hôtel'' (literally "master of the house" or "master of the establishment"); French never uses "d{{single double}} stand-alone. Most often used in American English and its usage in the UK is rare.
; [[negligée]]:A robe or a dressing gown, usually of sheer or soft fabric for women, or a nightdress. As with lingerie, the usage of the word suggests the garment is alluring or fancy. French uses ''négligé'' (masculine form) or ''nuisette''. In French, the word ''négligée'' qualifies a woman who neglects her appearance.
; [[succès de scandale]]: "Success through scandal"; Francophones might use ''succès par médisance''.
; [[voir dire]]: a trial within a trial, or (in America) jury selection ([[Law French]]). Literally "to speak the truth."<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/voir%20dire?r=1 voir dire] ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', Fourth Edition (2006)</ref> ([[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]] ''voir'' [''truth''] is etymologically unrelated to the modern French ''voir'' [''to see''].)<ref>[https://www.anglo-norman.net/D/voir voir] The Anglo-Norman Dictionary</ref> In modern American court procedure, the examination of prospective jurors for their qualification to serve, including inherent biases, views and predelictions; during this examination, each prospective juror must "speak the truth" so that counsel and the court may decide whether they should remain on the jury or be excused. In England and Wales, the expression is used to refer to a "trial within a trial", during which a judge hears evidence in the absence of the jury, typically to decide whether a certain piece of evidence should be allowed to be presented to the jury or not. For example, a judge might hold a "voir dire" to determine whether a confession has been extracted from a defendant by an unfair inducement in order to decide whether the jury should hear evidence of the confession or not.

== French phrases in international air-sea rescue ==<!-- This section is linked from [[Greek War of Independence]] -->
{{Unreferenced section |date=September 2019}}
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 rescue]]s. Note that the "phonetic" versions of spelling are presented as shown and not the [[Help:IPA|IPA]].

; [[Securité|SECURITAY]]: (''sécurité'', "safety") the following is a safety message or warning, the lowest level of danger.
; [[Pan-pan|PAN PAN]]: (''panne'', "breakdown") the following is a message concerning a danger to a person or ship, the next level of danger.
; [[Mayday (distress signal)|MAYDAY]]: (''[venez] m'aider'', come to help me"; ''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 code|Morse]] channels.)''
; [[Seelonce|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 ==
{{Portal|Language}}
{{Category see also|French words and phrases}}
{{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
* [[Glossary of ballet]], which is predominantly French
* [[Glossary of fencing]], which are often in French
* [[Franglais]]
* [[French language]]
* [[Law French]]
* [[List of English words of French origin|English words of French origin]]
* [[Influence of French on English]]
{{col-2}}
* [[List of pseudo-French words adapted to English|Pseudo-Gallicisms]]
* [[List of German expressions in English|German expressions in English]]
* [[List of Greek phrases|Greek phrases]]
* [[List of Latin phrases|Latin phrases]]
* [[List of Latin words with English derivatives|Latin words with English derivatives]]
* [[List of French loanwords in Persian|French loanwords in Persian]]
{{col-end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Francoise Blanchard, Jeremy Leven. ''Say Chic: A Collection of French Words We Can't Live Without''. Simon and Schuster.  2007. 144 pages
* Winokur, J., ''Je Ne Sais What?: A Guide to'' de rigueur ''Frenglish for Readers, Writers, and Speakers''

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080407230241/http://www.jcs.mil/j6/cceb/acps/Acp135f.pdf ''Communications Instructions, Distress and Rescue Procedures'' (pdf)], [[Combined Communications Electronics Board|Combined Communications-Electronics Board]]
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php ''Online Etymology Dictionary''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205085150/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php |date=December 5, 2015 }}, Harper, D.
* {{cite web |url=http://www.parisbypod.com/audio-french-dictionnary/family-1/ |title=French words within complete sentences, text + audio files |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=parisbypod.com |access-date=May 28, 2008 |archive-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414200758/http://www.parisbypod.com/audio-french-dictionnary/family-1/ |url-status=dead }}
* [http://www.economics.soton.ac.uk/staff/aldrich/Mathematical%20Words.htm Mathematical Words: Origins and Sources] (John Aldrich, University of Southampton) See Section on Contribution of French.

{{English words of foreign origin}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of French Words And Phrases Used By English Speakers}}
[[Category:Lists of phrases|French]]
[[Category:French words and phrases| ]]
[[Category:Lists of English words of French origin| ]]
[[Category:Wikipedia glossaries using description lists]]