Foreign Words

              

          A LIST OF FOREIGN WORDS REGULARLY USED IN ENGLISH

Important note for the teachers--- Dear friends, please note that this is not a comprehensive list by itself ---- however, it is to be used to encourage the learners to make the English language more interesting, rich and effective.

Sr.No	WORD	MEANING
1	Aficionado	Ardent devotee. (a fan of strong intensity). Ex-RAB NE BANA DI JODI was a damp squib, but watched by the aficionados of SRK.
2	Carte blanch	Unrestricted power to act on one’s own. Ex-I may have carte blanch around the office but at home I listen to mom.
3	tête-à-tête	an intimate get together or a private conversation
4	Hoi-polloi	The common people. Ex-  A  large  number  of  share  holders  in  Reliance companies are the hoi-polloi.
5	Quid-pro-quo	Something for something.(an equal exchange) Ex- She vowed that when she had means, she would return his favour quid-pro-quo.
6	Sotto-voce	In a quiet voice. Ex-Some students can’t keep quiet in the class , they indulge in their own private conversation sotto-voce.
7	Ad-hoc	For a particular time. Ex- Many institutions enroll new employees on ad-hoc basis.
8	Alma-mater	School, college, university that one has attended. Ex- No matter what, we all get nostalgic about our alma-mater once we leave it.
9	Que sera,sera—	what has to happen will happen
10	Bonhomie	Good natured friendliness. Ex- A great deal of bonhomie prevailed in the fresher’s party.
11	Adieu	Goodbye/ farewell/ until we meet again.  Ex- We attended the farewell party to bid adieu to our seniors.
12	A la carte	Food items according to the order placed. Ex- my family trusts my choice of food and I always end up placing order a la carte, when ever we dine out.
13	Exeunt	Exit. Ex-The exeunt policies of some companies are not transparent
14	Ex-gratis	Payment not legally binding but moral obligation is felt. Ex- the chairman honored his senior most employee by giving an ex-gratis of 5 lakh on his retirement
	erratum-	an error or a mistake
15	De-facto	In actual fact. Ex- though dad is the head of the family, mom is the de-facto ruler at home.
16	Faux pas	An indiscreet remark, an unintentional error. Ex- my boss committed a faux pas, when he said “the chief guest will deliver the vote of thanks, instead of saying, main address.”
17	Volte-face	Complete change. Ex- the Indian IT industry’s global image took a volte-face, with Satyam scam hitting the headlines.
18	Rendezvous	Prior meeting. Ex- my monthly rendezvous with the inmates at the orphanage is never compromised.
19	Rapport	A close bonding. Ex- A professional rapport should be maintained in the work places, rather than getting emotionally attached with our colleagues.
20	Modus operandi	Mode of operation. Ex- the modus operandi of one’s company should be pretty clear to the employees.
21	Acumen	The ability to think quickly and make good judgements. ex-The RELIANCE group of companies  owes it's success to the business  acumen of Dhirubai Ambani
22	Cliché	A phrase that has been used so many times. Ex- many of these talk shows have cliched questions being asked by the host and this makes the show boring.
23	Ad-interim	In the mean time. Ex-economic recession seems to have hit us badly, in the interim, those with far sight, will plan cleverly.
24	veni, vidi, vici-	I came, I saw, I conquered
25	Cuisine	A style of cooking, that is typical to that region. Ex- The Punjabi cuisine is undoubtedly delicious, but is it health friendly?
26	Brouhaha	commotion; uproar; noisy stir example – there is quite a brouhaha in the country because the ruling govt is not able to control the price hike of the vegetables
27	Amateur	Someone who does an activity for pleasure , not as a a job 2] someone u think is not very skilled at their job. Ex- Rahul Gandhi proved to the veterans of politics that he is not an amateur any longer …. congress owes its success to his political acumen.
28	Aegis	something that protects or shields ; defends; sponsorship; guidance by an individual or an organization—example: the conference was held under the aegis of  Human Rights Organization of UNO.
29	Catharsis	cleansing or purification of the body , emotions or the spirit example--- I was under stress, bur after crying  I felt better… the crying was cathartic in the process.
30	Colossus	a gigantic statue; a person or a thing that resembles such a statue in size or activity or influence example-  Amitabh Bachchan’s contribution to Indian cinema is colossus
31	Zenith/ nadir	Peak.---- Or – the most successful point in the development of something. Ex-Under the guidance of good teachers, it is possible to   reach the nadir/  zenith, but one's efficiency is needed to stay there.
32	concierge	Someone in a hotel whose job is to tell the guests, what places to visit, which restaurant to eat etc. Ex-The concierge of every hotel should be well informed and pleasant in their disposition
33	Altruism	When u care about or help other people even when it has no advantage to u... Ex--Most of the celebrities do social service to catch media attention rather than being altruistic
34	Ambiguous	Something that can be understood in more than one way... coz it is unclear … it has many probable interpretations. Ex--The appointment letter mentions many  is very cleverly ambiguous , so that the enterprise is never at the receiving end.
35	Kudos	name and fame that result from achievement ; prestige ; praise Abhinav Bindra deserves well earned kudos for bringing glory to the nation in Olympics
36	Paparazzi	Photographers who follow famous people in order  to sell their pictures t newspapers. Ex---The paparazzi are responsible for Diana's death.
37	Vis-a- vis	In relation to or in comparison with something or someone. Ex---The student inputs of MBA [Hons] are more vis- a vis  than regular MBA.
38	Erudite	Showing lot of knowledge based on careful study. Ex--- I respect my mentor, for he is truly an erudite.
39	chagrin	Annoyance or disappointment coz something has not happened the way u wanted it to be. Ex---The boss promoted me much to the chagrin of my colleagues.
40	conclave	A private and secret meeting. Ex----All the senior members in the party hierarchy had a conclave to decide who shall be the next ruler of the country.