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146 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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au courant
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well-informed; up-to-date
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blase
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tired of pleasures; bored
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bourgeois
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having to do with the middle class
concerned with petty, materialistic interests |
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chic
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stylish
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clairvoyant
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clear-sighted; unusually perceptive; discerning
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complaisant
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willing to please; obliging; amiable
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debonair
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gracious; courteous; charming; suave
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gauche
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lacking social grace; crude; tactless; awkward
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maladroit
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unskillful; clumsy
ant- adroit |
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naive
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simple in nature; artless; ingenuous
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nonchalant
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without concern or enthusiasm; indifferent
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attache
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member of the diplomatic staff of an ambassador or minister
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bourgeoisie
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the middle class
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charge d affaires
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temporary substitute for an ambassador
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concierge
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doorkeeper; custodian; janitor
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confrere
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colleague; co-worker; comrade
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connoisseur
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expert; critical judge
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coterie
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set or circle of acquaintances; clique
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debutante
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young woman who has just had her debut (intro to society)
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devotee
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zealous follower; ardent adherent of something or someone; fan
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elite
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group of individuals thought to be superior; aristocracy; choice part
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emigre
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refugee; person who has fled from his of her native land because of political conditions
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entourage
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group of attendants, assistants, or associates accompanying a person
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entrepreneur
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one who assumes the risks and management of a business
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envoy
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diplomatic agent or messenger
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fiance
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person engaged to be married
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gendarme
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armed police officer, especially to France and other European countries
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gourmand
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person excessively fond of eating and drinking; glutton
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gourmet
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connoisseur in eating and drinking
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ingenue
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actress playing the role of a naive young woman; naive young woman
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maitre d hotel
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headwaiter
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martinet
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person who enforces very strict discipline
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nonpareil
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person of unequal excellence; paragon
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nouveaux riches
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person newly rick
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parvenu
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person suddenly risen to wealth of power who lacks the proper social qualifications; upstart
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protege
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someone taught, protected, or advanced by a person of experience or influence
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raconteur
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person who excels in telling stories, anecdotes, etc.
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valet
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manservant who attends to the personal needs of his employer, as by taking care of his clothes
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aplomb
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absolute confidence in oneself; poise; self-possession
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eclat
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brilliancy of achievement
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elan
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enthusiasm; eagerness for action
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ennui
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feeling of weariness and discontent; boredom; tedium
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esprit de corps
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feeling of union and common interest pervading a group; devotion to a group or to it's ideals
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finesse
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skill and adroitness in handling a difficult situation
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legerdemain
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sleight of hand; artful trick
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malaise
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vague feeling of bodily discomfort or illness
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noblesse oblige
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principle that persons of high rank or birth are obliged to act nobly
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rapport
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relationship characterized by harmony, conformity, or affinity
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sangfroid
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coolness of mind in difficult circumstances; composure; equanimity
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savoir faire
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knowledge of just what to say or do; tact
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adieu
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good-bye; farewell
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au revoir
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good-bye; till we meet again
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billet-doux
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love letter
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bon mot
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clever saying; witty remark; witticism
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brochure
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pamphlet; booklet
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canard
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false rumor; absurd story; hoax
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cliche
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worn-out expression; trite phrase
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entre nous
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between us; confidentiality
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mot juste
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exactly right word; most suitable expression
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nom de plume
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per name; pseudonym
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precis
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brief summary
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repartee
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skill of replying quickly, cleverly, and humorously; witty reply
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resume
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brief account of experience and qualifications submitted by an applicant for a position
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riposte
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retort; repartee
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tete a tete
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private conversation between two persons
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bete noire
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dreaded object or person; bugbear
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carte blanche
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full discretionary power; freedom to use one's own judgement
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cause celebre
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famous case in law that arouses considerable interest; issue, person, much attention
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contretemps
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inopportune occurrence; embarrassing situation
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cul de sac
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blind alley; dead end
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debacle
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collapse; disaster; overthrow; rout; fiasco
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fait accompli
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thing already done
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faux pas
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misstep; blunder in conduct; manners, speech, etc.
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impasse
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deadlock; predicament with no obvious way out; stalemate
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liaison
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bond; linking up; coordination of activities
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melange
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mixture; medley; potpourri
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mirage
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optical illusion
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coup d etat
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sudden violent overthrow of a government
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demarche
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course of action; maneuver
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detente
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relaxing, as of strained relations between nations
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entente
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understanding or agreement between governments
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laissez-faire
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doctrine opposing interference by governments in economic affairs; noninterference
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lettre de cachet
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letter bearing a seal ordering the imprisonment without trial of a person the letter names
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premier
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prime minister
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rapprochement
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establishment or state of cordial relations; coming together
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regime
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system of government or rule
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avant-garde
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experimentalists or innovators in any art
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bas-relief
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sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background
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baton
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rod a conductor uses to direct an orchestra or band
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chef d oeuvre
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chief work; masterpiece in art, literature, etc.
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entente
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understanding or agreement between governments
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laissez-faire
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doctrine opposing interference by governments in economic affairs; noninterference
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lettre de cachet
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letter bearing a seal ordering the imprisonment without trial of a person the letter names
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premier
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prime minister
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rapprochement
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establishment or state of cordial relations; coming together
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regime
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system of government or rule
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avant-garde
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experimentalists or innovators in any art
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bas-relief
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sculpture in which the figures project only slightly from the background
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baton
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rod a conductor uses to direct an orchestra or band
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chef d oeuvre
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chief work; masterpiece in art, literature, etc.
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bonbo
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piece of candy
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consomme
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clear soup; broth
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croissant
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rich, flaky crescent-shaped roll
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cuisine
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style of cooking or prepared food
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demitasse
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small cup for, or of, strong black coffee
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entree
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main dish at lunch or dinner
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filet
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slice of meat of fish with bones
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hors d' oeuvres
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light foods served as appetizers before the regular courses of a meal
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piece de resistance
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main dish
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soup du jour
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soup served in a restaurant on a particular day
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bouffant
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puffed out; full
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boutique
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small shop specializing in fashionable clothes
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chemise
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loose-fitting; sacklike dress
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coiffure
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style of arranging the hair
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corsage
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small bouquet worn by a woman
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cravat
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necktie; neckband; scarf
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ensemble
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complete costume of harmonious clothing and accessories
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flamboyant
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flamelike; ornate; showy; vivid
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toupee
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wig; hairpiece to cover baldness
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vogue
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fashion; accepted style
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ambience
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surroundings; atmosphere; environment
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apropos
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by the way; incidentally
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apropos
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appropriate; relevant; pertinent
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avoirdupois
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weight; heaviness
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bagatelle
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trifle
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coup de grace
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decisive finishing blow
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en route
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on the way
along the way |
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etiquette
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required social or official usages; code of behavior
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facade
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face or front of a building, or of anything; false front
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fete
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festival; entertainment; party
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fete
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honor with a fete
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foyer
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entrance hall; lobby; anteroom; vestibule
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milieu
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environment; setting; surroundings
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parasol
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umbrella for protection against the sun
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par excellence
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above all others of the same sort
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passe
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old fashioned; behind the times; outmoded
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pince-nez
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eyeglasses clipped to the nose by a spring
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premiere
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first performance
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queue
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line of persons of vehicles waiting their turn
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raison d etre
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reason or justification for existing
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rendezvous
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prearranged meeting place; popular gathering place
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silhouette
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shadow; outline
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sobriquet
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nickname
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souvenir
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reminder; keepsake; memento
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tour de force
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feat of strength, skill, or ingenuity
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vis a vis
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face to face with; opposite
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