duh´-ree-GRR´ If something is de rigueur, it is customary or required, often by fashion or etiquette For a male lifeguard on the Jersey Shore, a tattoo is de rigueur.

kuh´-meal-FOE´ Comme il faut means proper, or as things should be. When Patricia’s fifteen-year-old son began jumping on the sofa, Sarah realized things were not comme il faut in that […]

swahn-YAY´ Soigné means elegantly dressed and well groomed. When describing a female, the term is spelled soignée. Kyle, whom Daniela had met at the surf competition, looked surprisingly soigné after […]

duh-TROH´ De trop means unwelcome, too much, or in the way. Once Jessica had set the table, she realized one centerpiece was enough—the other four were de trop.

pahr´-ek-suh-LAWNS´ Par excellence means supreme, or the best of its kind. The wedding bouquets, the most beautiful we had ever seen, were obviously the work of a florist par excellence.

SHEE´-shee Chichi means pretentious, fussy, or frilly. It also means affected or excessively refined. While occasionally used as a synonym for chic, chichi is more often used in the negative […]

sheek The term chic means fashionable or stylish; it also refers to an assertiveness and confidence in dress. Chic is both an adjective and a noun: you can be chic […]