Ap English Vocab Ch 8

Front 1

au courant

Back 1

well informed, up to date

Front 2

blase

Back 2

tried of pleasures, bored

Front 3

bourgeois

Back 3

having to do with the middle class; petty materialistic interests

Front 4

chic

Back 4

stylish

Front 5

clairvoyant

Back 5

clear sighted, unusually perceptive; able to perceive matters beyond ordinary senses

Front 6

complaisant

Back 6

willing to please, obliging, amiable

Front 7

debonair

Back 7

gracious, courteous, charming

Front 8

gauche

Back 8

lacking social grace, crude, tactless, awkward

Front 9

maladroit

Back 9

unskillful, clumsy (adroit)

Front 10

naive

Back 10

simple in nature, artless, ingenious

Front 11

nonchalant

Back 11

without concern or enthusiasm

Front 12

attache

Back 12

member of diplomatic staff or ambassador or minister

Front 13

bourgeoisie

Back 13

middle class

Front 14

charge d'affaires

Back 14

temporary substitute for an ambassador

Front 15

concierge

Back 15

doorkeeper, janitor; hotel employee who handles mail & others tasks

Front 16

confrere

Back 16

colleague, co worker

Front 17

connoisseur

Back 17

expert, critical judge

Front 18

coterie

Back 18

set or circle of acquaintances, clique

Front 19

debutante

Back 19

young woman who has just had her intro in society

Front 20

devotee

Back 20

follower, fan

Front 21

elite

Back 21

n. group of individuals thought to be superior; aristocracy; choice part

Front 22

emigre, emigree

Back 22

n. refugee; person who has fled from his native land because of political conditions

Front 23

entourage

Back 23

n. group of attendants, assistants, or associates accompanying a person

Front 24

entrepreneur

Back 24

n. one who assumes the risks and management of a business

Front 25

envoy

Back 25

n. diplomatic agent or messenger

Front 26

fiance, fiancee

Back 26

n. person engaged to be married

Front 27

gendarme

Back 27

n. armed police officer, especially in France and other European countries

Front 28

gourmand

Back 28

n. person excessively fond of eating and drinking; glutton

Front 29

gourmet

Back 29

n. connoisseur in eating and drinking

Front 30

ingenue

Back 30

n. actess playing the role of a naive young woman; naive young woman

Front 31

maître d'hôtel

Back 31

headwaiter

Front 32

martinet

Back 32

n. person who enforces very strict disipline

Front 33

nonpareil

Back 33

n. person of unequalled excellence; paragon

Front 34

nouveaux riches

Back 34

n. persons newly rich

Front 35

parvenu

Back 35

(m.) n. person suddenly risen to wealth or power who lacks the proper social qualifications; upstart

Front 36

parvenue

Back 36

(f.) n. person new to wealth or power who lacks the proper social qualifications; upstart

Front 37

protégé

Back 37

(f.) n. someone taught, protected, or advanced by a person of experience or influence

Front 38

raconteur

Back 38

n. person who excells in telling stories, anecdotes, etc.

Front 39

valet

Back 39

n. manservant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of his clothes

Front 40

aplomb

Back 40

n. absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession

Front 41

éclat

Back 41

n. brilliancy of achievement

Front 42

élan

Back 42

n. enthusiasm; eagerness for action

Front 43

ennui

Back 43

n. feeling of weariness and discontent; boredom; tedium

Front 44

esprit de corps

Back 44

n. feeling of union and common interest pervading a group; devotion to a group or to its ideals

Front 45

finesse

Back 45

n. skill and adroitness in handling a difficult situation

Front 46

legerdemain

Back 46

n. sleight of hand; artful trick

Front 47

malaise

Back 47

n. vague feeling of bodily discomfort or illness

Front 48

noblesse oblige

Back 48

noblesse oblige

Front 49

rapport

Back 49

n. relationship characterized by harmony; conformity, or affinity

Front 50

sangfroid

Back 50

n. coolness of mind in difficult circumstances; composure; equanimity

Front 51

savoir faire

Back 51

n. knowledge of just what to say or do; tact

Front 52

avant-garde

Back 52

n. experimentalists or innovators

Front 53

bas-releif

Back 53

n. sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background

Front 54

baton

Back 54

n. rod a conductor uses to direct an orchestra or band

Front 55

chef d'oeuvre

Back 55

n. chief work; masterpiece in are, literature, etc.

Front 56

denouement

Back 56

n. solution of the plot in a play, story, or complex situation; outcome; end

Front 57

encore

Back 57

n.audience's demand for an additonal performance; repetition or additonal performace in response to applause

Front 58

genre

Back 58

n. 1. kind; sort; category 2. style of painting depicting scenes from every day life

Front 59

musicale

Back 59

n. social gathering with music as the featured entertainment

Front 60

palette

Back 60

n. thin board (with a thumb hole at one end) on which an artist lays and mixes colors

Front 61

repertoire

Back 61

n. 1. stock of plays, operas, roles, compositions, etc., that a company or individual is prepared to perform 2. collection

Front 62

vignette

Back 62

n. short verbal descriptions; small; gracefull literary sketch

Front 63

a la carte

Back 63

adv. according to the menu (bill of fare); dish by dish, from a menu stating the price for each dish

Front 64

a la mode

Back 64

adj. 1. according to fashion; stylish 2. with ice cream

Front 65

aperitif

Back 65

n. alcoholic drink taken before a mean as an appetizer

Front 66

bonbon

Back 66

n. piece of candy

Front 67

consommé

Back 67

n. clear soup; broth

Front 68

croissant

Back 68

n. rich, flaky crescent-shaped roll

Front 69

cuisine

Back 69

n. style of cooking or preparing food

Front 70

demitasse

Back 70

n. small cup for, or of, strong black coffee

Front 71

entrée

Back 71

n. main dish at lunch or dinner

Front 72

filet (fillet)

Back 72

n. slice of meat or fish without bones

Front 73

hors d'oeuvres

Back 73

n. pl. light foods served as appetizers before the regular courses of a meal

Front 74

pièce de résistance

Back 74

n. 1. main dish 2. main item of any collection, series, program, etc.; showpiece

Front 75

soup du jour

Back 75

n. soup served in a restaurent on a particular day

Front 76

table d'hôte

Back 76

n. complete meal of several courses offered in a hotel or restaurant at a fixed price

Front 77

bête noire

Back 77

n. dreaded object or person; bugbear

Front 78

carte blanche

Back 78

n. full discretionary power; freedom to use one's own judgement

Front 79

cause célèbre

Back 79

n. famous case in law that arouses considerable interest; issue, person, incident, or situation attracting much attention

Front 80

contretemps

Back 80

n. inopportune occurrence; embarrassing situation; mishap

Front 81

cul-de-sac

Back 81

n. clind alley; dead end

Front 82

debacle

Back 82

n. collapse; disaster; overthrow; rout; fiasco

Front 83

fait accompli

Back 83

n. thing already done

Front 84

faux pas

Back 84

n. misstep; blunder in conduct, manners, or speech, etc.

Front 85

impasse

Back 85

n. deadlock; predicament with no obvious way out; stalemate

Front 86

liaison

Back 86

n. 1. bond; linking up; coordination of activities 2. person who establishes and maintains this connection

Front 87

mélange

Back 87

n. mixture; medley; potpourri

Front 88

mirage

Back 88

n. optical illusion

Front 89

adieu

Back 89

n. good-bye; farewell

Front 90

au revoir

Back 90

n. good-bye; till we meet again

Front 91

billet-doux

Back 91

n. love letter

Front 92

bon mot

Back 92

n. clever saying; witty remark; witticism

Front 93

brouchure

Back 93

n. pamphlet; booklet

Front 94

canard

Back 94

n. false rumor; absurd stroy; hoax

Front 95

cliché

Back 95

worn-out expression; trite phrase

Front 96

entre nous

Back 96

adv. between us; confidentially

Front 97

mot juste

Back 97

n. exactly right word; most suitable expression

Front 98

nom de plume

Back 98

n. pen name; pseudonym

Front 99

précis

Back 99

brief summary

Front 100

repartee

Back 100

n. skill of replying quickly, cleverly, and humorously; witty reply

Front 101

résumé

Back 101

n. 1. brief account of experience and qualifications submitted by an applicant for a position; cirriculum vitae 2. summary

Front 102

riposte

Back 102

n. 1. retort; repartee 2. in fencing, a quick return thrust after a parry

Front 103

tête-à-tête

Back 103

n. private conversation between two persons

Front 104

bouffant

Back 104

puffed out, full

Front 105

boutique

Back 105

small shop specializing in fashionable clothing

Front 106

chemise

Back 106

loose fitting, sack like dress

Front 107

coiffure

Back 107

style of arranging the hair

Front 108

corsage

Back 108

small bouquet worn by a women

Front 109

cravat

Back 109

necktie, scarf

Front 110

ensemble

Back 110

complete costume of clothing and accessories

Front 111

flamboyant

Back 111

flamelike, ornate, showy, vivid

Front 112

toupee

Back 112

wig, hair piece

Front 113

vogue

Back 113

fashion, accepted style

Front 114

ambience

Back 114

surroundings, environment

Front 115

apropos

Back 115

by the way, incidentally; appropriate, relevant, pertinent

Front 116

avoirdupois

Back 116

weight, heaviness

Front 117

bagatelle

Back 117

trifle

Front 118

coup de grace

Back 118

decisive finishing blow

Front 119

en route

Back 119

on the way, along the way

Front 120

etiquette

Back 120

req. social or official usages, code of behavior

Front 121

facade

Back 121

face or front of a building, or of anything, false front

Front 122

fete

Back 122

festival, party; honor with a fete

Front 123

foyer

Back 123

entrance hall, lobby

Front 124

milieu

Back 124

environment, setting, surroundings

Front 125

parasol

Back 125

umbrella for protection against sun

Front 126

par excellence

Back 126

above all others of the same sort

Front 127

passe

Back 127

old fashioned, behind the times

Front 128

pince-nez

Back 128

eyeglasses clipped to nose by spring

Front 129

premiere

Back 129

first performance

Front 130

queue

Back 130

line of persons or vehicles waiting their turn

Front 131

raison d'etre

Back 131

reason or justification for existing

Front 132

rendezvous

Back 132

prearranged meetin place, popular gathering place

Front 133

silhouette

Back 133

shadow, outline

Front 134

sobriquet, soubriquet

Back 134

nickname

Front 135

souvenir

Back 135

reminder, keepsake

Front 136

tour de force

Back 136

feat of strength, skill, or ingenuity

Front 137

vis a vis

Back 137

face to face with, opposite; in relation to, as compared with