Product Overview
English doesn't borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.
-James D. Nicoll
Organized alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi is an accessible lexicon of foreign words and phrases used in English, containing everything from aficionado (Spanish) to zeitgeist (German). Inside you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and a descriptive timeline of each item's evolution. Entries include:
- la carte: from the card or of the menu (French)
- Fiasco: complete failure (Italian)
- Dungarees: thick cotton cloth/overalls (Hindi)
- Diaspora: dispersion (Greek)
- Smorgasbord: bread and butter (Swedish)
- Cognoscenti: those who know (Italian)
- Compos mentis: having mastery of one's mind; with it (Latin)
