![]() “It's true he's quite the bon vivant, but when he gets down to business he conducts himself like a Spartan.” carpe diem (kar'pay dee'um) : seize the day. “One bon mot after another flew out of his mouth, charming the audience.” bon vivant (bon vee-vahnt') : a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink. “For all her reticence and modesty, it was clear that she was a bona fide expert in her field.” bon mot (bon moe') : a witty remark or comment. “Talk of the good old college days way back when had become his bête noire, and he began to avoid his school friends.” bona fide (boh'na fide) : in good faith genuine. “Such elegant decor would impress even the beau monde.” bête noire (bet nwahr') : something or someone particularly disliked. “My fellow writers supported me by writing letters of protest to the publisher, but their beau geste could not prevent the inevitable.” beau monde (boh' mond') : high society. “The shoes, the hair, the clothes-every last detail of her dress, in fact-was utterly au courant.” beau geste (boh zhest') : a fine or noble gesture, often futile. “The fact that their house is in such disrepair suggests a priori that they are having financial difficulties.” au courant (oh' koo-rahn') : up-to-date. “Last year was the annus mirabilis for my company.” a priori (ah pree-or'ee) : based on theory rather than observation. “Sylvia's teenage angst was nothing compared to the parental angst experienced by the two individuals whose duty it was to raise her.” annus mirabilis (an'us muh-ra'buh-lis) : wonderful year. “I was surprised at what a baseball aficionado she had become.” angst (angkst) : dread and anxiety. “The politician uttered one platitude after another ad nauseam.” aficionado (uh-fish'ya-nah'doh) : an ardent devotee. “The lecture seemed to drone on ad infinitum.” ad nauseam (ad noz'ee-um) : to a sickening degree. “He tediously repeated his argument ad absurdum.” ad infinitum (ad in-fun-eye'tum) : to infinity. ad absurdum (ad ab-sir'dum) : to the point of absurdity. ![]() The English meanings given below are not necessarily literal translations.
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