brutum fulmen: insensible thunderbolt (futile threat of display of force)Ĥ7. bon gre, mal gre: whether with good grace or bad (willy-nilly)Ĥ5. bellum omnium contra onnes: war of all against allĤ3. aut vincere aut mori: either to conquer or to dieĤ2. autres temps, autres moeurs: other times, other customsĤ1. ausssitot dit, aussitot fait: no sooner said than doneĤ0. auspicium melioris aevi: an omen of a better ageģ9. au mieux: on the best terms (on intimate terms)ģ8. au fait: to the point (socially correct)ģ6. au bout de son latin: at the end of one’s Latin (at the end of one’s mental resources)ģ4. a torte et a travers: wrong and crosswise (without rhyme or reason)ģ3. arrectis auribus: with ears pricked upģ2. armamentum ad baculum: argument of the staff (appeal to force)ģ1.
amicus usque ad aras: a friend as far as to the alters (a friend to the last extremity)ģ0. amicus humani generis: friend of the human raceĢ8. a maximis ad minima: from the greatest to the leastĢ7. a la page: at the page (up to the minute)Ģ5. a la bonne heure: at a good time (all right)Ģ3. a la belle etoile: under the beautiful star (in the open air at night)Ģ2. aere perennius: more lasting than bronzeĢ1. aequam servare mentem: to preserve a calm mindġ8. ad utrumque paratus: prepared for either eventġ6. ad unguem: to the fingernail (exactly)ġ4. ad majorem Dei gloriam: to the greater glory of Godġ3. acte gratuit: gratuitous impulsive actġ0. ab uno disce omnes: from one learn to know allĨ. ab ovo usque ad mala: from egg to apples (from beginning to end)Ħ.
a bouch ouverte: with open mouth (eagerly, uncritically)Ĥ. a bon chat, bon rat: to a good cat, a good rat (retaliation in kind)ģ. At the very least, employ these phrases to encapsulate your characters the preceding type could be labeled folie de grandeur, or you might keep faux-naif in mind when writing another character.Ģ. Think what you can do with a story titled “Mole ruit sua” or “Hic illae lacrimae.” (Moliere wrapped an entire play, one of the greatest ever written, around malade imaginaire.) Alternatively, this post is a rich mine for a tale featuring an insufferable boor who tosses off foreign expressions ad arbitrium to advertise his erudition. Once you’ve chosen one expression, use it as a prompt for a short story. Others ( crise de conscience) are not only universally resonant in our experience but also transparent. Some are obscure in their figurative language ( esprit d’le escalier, one of my favorite expressions, refers to the chagrin you feel about coming up with a bon mot or an insult only after the opportunity to utter it has passed) and may require some research on the reader’s part, though everyone can identify with them once the meaning is clear. I’ve listed foreign phrases that eloquently draw, in just a few words, a portrait of a person or a situation. Here’s another writing challenge for you, a sequel to 150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You. 225 Foreign Phrases to Inspire You By Mark Nichol
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