French and Latin Phrases
Looking for a way to “spice up” your writing? Tired of using the same old tired words and phrases like great
and nice? Try something different like a French or Latin phrases to convey your meaning in a more
sophisticated way. Below are some Latin and French phrases that you can begin using in your writing. Please
use italics to designate that it is a foreign word.
French Phrases
à la carte : according to the menu, i.e., ordering individual items off the menu
à la mode: in fashion; frequently used to indicate desserts served with ice cream.
au contraire: on the contrary
au courant: well informed
au revoir: until we meet again
bon appetite: good appetite
bonjour: good day, hello
bon vivant: lover of good living
bon voyage: have a good trip
carte blanche: full discretionary authority
coup d’etat: sudden overthrow of a government
cul de sac: dead end
de rigeur: required
double entendre: double meaning
en masse: in a large group
en route: on the way
esprit de corps: group spirit
fait accompli: a thing accomplished or done with
faux pas: a mistake
hors d’oeuvre: appetizer
je ne sais quoi: I don’t know what
laissez faire: non interference
n’est-ce pas?: Isn’t that so?
noblesse oblige: rank imposes obligations
nom de plume: pen name
objet d’art: article of artistic value
pardonnez moi: excuse me
piece de resistance: irresistible item or event
raison d’etre: reason or justification for living
savoir faire: social know-how
tout de suite: immediately
vis-à-vis: in relation to
Latin Phrases
ad hoc: with respect to the particular case at hand
ad infinitum: to infinity
ad nauseam: to the point of disgust
bona fide: in good faith, authentic
caveat emptor: let the buyer beware
cogito ergo sum: I think, therefore I am.
e pluribus unum: one from many
et cetera: and others
in memorium: in memory of
in toto: totally
mea culpa: my fault
modus operandi: manner of working
non sequitur: it does not follow
nota bene: note well
persona non grata: person not accepted
pro forma: does as a matter of formality
pro rata: according to rate or proportion
quid pro quo: one thing for another
sine qua non: indispensable
status quo: the way things are
sub rosa: secret or confidential
vice versa: conversely
Source: Fry, E.B., et. al. (2000). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists (Fourth Edition). Paramus, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Easily Confused Word Pairs
Often, we can be confused by words that sound or are spelled alike when their meanings are actually quite
different. Use the guide below to distinguish between the most commonly confused words.
1. affect (most commonly used as a verb meaning “to influence”; in psychology may also be used as a
noun meaning “emotion”)
effect (most commonly used as a noun meaning “the result”; may also be used as a verb meaning “to
cause”
2. assure (To inform positively, as to remove doubt: e.g. “assured us that the train would be on time.”)
insure (the buying or selling of insurance, the protection against losses, e.g. “to buy car insurance.”)
ensure (to make sure, e.g. “Ensure your homework is done by Friday.”
3. continual (happening over and over again)
continuous (happening constantly without stopping)
4. well (adjective and adverb with three meanings: to be healthy; to look well-dressed or groomed; to be
satisfactory, right or proper)
good (always an adjective and cannot be used to modify a verb, e.g. You did a good job. Note the
difference between “You did well,” in which well modifies did.)
5. among (among for more than two)
between (between for two things)
6. affective (emotional)
effective (having an intended result)
7. among (used with collective quantities: argument among members)
between (used with distinct quantities: argument between Bob, Joan, and Ned)
8. anxious (uneasy apprehensive)
eager (earnestly desiring something)
9. are (form of verb to be)
our (possessive of first person plural)
10. as (used when followed by a verb: “We left at 1:00 as planned.”)
like (used when followed by a noun: “The boy ran like the wind”)
11. bring (to carry something with oneself to a place-from here to there-when you bring something with
you, you arrive with it)
take (carry to another place-from here to there-when you take something with you, you leave with it)
12. can (to be able to)
may (to be permitted to)
13. its (belonging to it)
it’s (contraction for it is)
14. lay (a transitive verb that has a direct object, e.g. “You lay something down.”)
lie (needs no direct object, e.g. “You lie down if you are not feeling well.”)
15. lead (as a verb “to go before” or “to conduct”, e.g. I will lead a good life. As a noun, “He took the lead
in the race.)
led (past tense of the verb lead, e.g. He led a good life.)
16. consideration (careful thought)
consolation (comfort, solace)
17. disinterested (impartial)
uninterested (indifferent)
18. endurable (bearable)
enduring (lasting)
19. eminent (standing out)
imminent (about to happen)
20. farther (used to refer to physical distance: “5 miles farther”)
further (used to refer to abstract distance “to gain further understanding”)
21. fewer or few (used with countable plural nouns: “9 items or fewer”)
less or little (used with singular nouns not easily counted: less rain than expected”)
22. imply (to suggest without stating directly)
infer (derive a conclusion)
23. inhabit (live in)
inhibit (suppress or hold back)
24. assume (you gather something is true in order to argue the facts)
presume (taking for granted that something is true)
25. dock (the space where a ship comes to rest)
pier (a structure that you can walk on)
26. epidemic (a disease that breaks out and eventually goes away)
endemic (a disease that breaks out and often remains for centuries, e.g. cholera)
Sources:
Block, B, et. al. Editor in Chief. (1999). Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Press.
Jones, J. and W. Wilson. (1995). An Incomplete Education. New York: Ballantine Books.
Lynch, J. Guide to Grammar and Style. http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/index.html.
Retrieved March 7, 2006.
Words to Avoid in Formal Writing
Note: These are to be avoided in commentary. However, the author’s words are to be used exactly as written.
1. a lot
2. and so on
3. anything (and other “thing” words: everything, something, etc.)
4. bad
5. basically (is basically boring)
6. best, better
7. don’t or ANY contraction
8. etc. which means (and so on)
9. extremely
10. exciting
11. excellent
12. fun
13. good, well
14. great (unless properly used, as in “a great deal more”)
15. hopefully
16. I believe, I think, In my opinion. (NO FIRST PERSON!)
17. In conclusion
18. interesting (is an uninteresting, trite word)
19. kind of, sort of, probably
20. mainly, mostly
21. nice, pretty, other simplistic descriptive words
22. O.K. do not use any slang expressions
23. really
24. sort of
25. totally
26. very
27. you and variations on second person (you, your)
28. got, gotten, etc.
29. slang of any kind
30. Limit helping verbs (they create passive voice)
31. got or get (wimpy verbs!)
32. NO REPEATED WORDS!
Synonyms for Things
1. items
2. qualities
3. attributes
4. factors
5. elements
6. reasons
7. characteristics
8. detail
9. facets
10. points
11. components
12. principles
13. piece
14. sources
15. features
16. aspects
17. benefits
18. drawbacks