fauteuil
foh-TAY´-yuh (French for ‘armchair’) A fauteuil is a chair with a partially exposed wooden frame, meaning it has open spaces between its arms and its […]
Word Archive
bergère
bear-ZHAIR´ A bergère is an armchair with closed arms, meaning it has upholstery in the area between the arms and the seat. Most antique bergères have rounded backs and wide […]
objet d’art
ōb-zhay DAHR´ (French for ‘art object’) An objet d’art is a small decorative object that one might place in an étagère. (Be careful with the plural: it’s objets d’art, not objet d’arts.) To […]
au courant
oh´-coo-RAWN´ To be au courant is to be up to date and aware of the latest news and trends. Denise’s father is au courant when it comes to national politics […]
de rigueur
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.
comme il faut
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 […]
soigné
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 […]
de trop
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.
par excellence
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.
chichi
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 […]