A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English

by Chloe Rhodes

"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:
À 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)
Attractively packaged with black and white illustrations, this whimsical yet authoritative book is a great gift for any etymologically fascinated individual. Use this book to reacquaint yourself with the English language, and you'll be compos mentis in no time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Reference, Linguistics, Words, History, Contemporary

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could definitely have used some pronunciation helps along with the foreign words. Many of these phrases I've read in books but I've never heard pronounced. Now that I know what they mean, I still can't use them in conversation because I still don't know how to pronounce them!

It was a quick read. Each foreign phrase or word was accompanied by a paragraph detailing the first use in English, the foreign meaning, the English meaning, and how it is used in English today. That wasn't bad. It was followed by a use in a humorous sentence (although one sentence misspelled the word and another sentence didn't even use the word - that was funny!)and sometimes a (not very funny) cartoon.

I learned we get the word Robot from a Czech word.

At some point I realized this book was British. Some things about modern usage seemed a bit off. When I got to a description of the word Kabob now being a common bar food I thought "What? No! Hot wings! It's beer and hot wings! I've never had a kabob in my life. (Well, not entirely true as I think I had a kabob at a Middle Eastern restaurant in the late 90's.) Then I looked at the front and it all made sense - yes, the modern English usage is British usage.

Fun to glance through but not especially recommended.

[La Crosse County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally published August 2011

Who’s multilingual? Certainly not moi; and it’s not my alma mater’s fault. It is totally mea culpa. Yet, as the following story illustrates, even the illiterati among us are actually somewhat fluent in French, Latin, Yiddish, Sanskrit, Greek, German, Chinese, Spanish, and Italian.

We dined al fresco last night, eating soup du jour, pasta al dente, and pie a la mode. It was an a-la-carte menu. Not being aficionados of haute cuisine, we still wanted to avoid the hoi polloi, so we said hasta la vista to the bad karma of restaurants frequented by the nouveau riche, and instead schlepped to a bistro for our rendezvous. Perhaps it’s gauche, but I love to schmooze with waiters at ersatz four-star eateries with a family leitmotif.

It’s not kosher to say so, in fact it may be a serious faux-pas, but I’ve never been gung ho about the carte blanche given to restaurant critics. As gurus of gastronomy, they sometimes eat gratis (kudos to those who pay their own way) and have the chutzpah to believe their bon mots can render an establishment kaput or passé.

I’m not opposed to critics per se, but an exposé of their tactics might reveal a de rigueur hubris. So to change the status quo, I suggest that in lieu of cooking tonight, you have a nosh and some wine (after all, in vino veritas), and write a bona fide review of your own. If you have taste buds, you ipso facto have the savoir faire to be a doppelganger critic.

If you’re still reading this, then my joie de vivre is complete, for I know that you will LOVE my latest favorite book, A Certain ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’: The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes!

It’s amazing what you can learn ex libris. It’s a non sequitur, and I don’t mean to go on ad nauseam, but how many foreign words or phrases can you find in this magnum opus? (Mazel tov if you find at least 50!)

Besides A Certain ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi,’ the La Crosse County Library, with branches in Bangor, Campbell, Holmen, Onalaska, and West Salem, has many other resources to help you develop an uber-trendy vocabulary and make your knowledge of foreign languages a real tour de force. We’re here to help. And we do it pro bono!

Donke schoen for your attention and ciao for now.

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

[Danielle Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love words. I believe Amazon's review best sums it up.

"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:

À 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)

Attractively packaged with black and white illustrations, this whimsical yet authoritative book is a great gift for any etymologically fascinated individual. Use this book to reacquaint yourself with the English language, and you'll be compos mentis in no time.

[Jared Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book a while ago, so I decided to finish it. It's a book I'd suggest to be read over a long period of time, looking at one or two entries a day. My brain kind of lost interest. I vacillated between two and three stars. But it had funny comics, which bumped it up to three. It was interesting to see where foreign phrases within the English language came from and their original meanings. But I do think I need a break from the informational book types. My brain is telling me to go enjoy some fiction.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun. Pronunciation hints would make it a perfect book, but it's very good without (besides, I should really learn how to pronounce Latin words). In addition to learning some fun tidbits, I've also learned some new words.

[Mark Hartzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Docked 1 star for the failure to include pronunciations. Actually more of a 3.5 star book. But lawyers love language and I'm no different. For example, I learned that the word "Geist" means ghost in German, so both "poltergeist" and "zeitgeist" have a common root word. Interesting!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an impulse grab off of the library shelf when I was looking for another book on language. It's a cute little collection of the meanings and etymologies of various common foreign words and phrases in English. Most selections and their meetings will be very familiar to readers, but sometimes their origin is an interesting tale. A la carte was first coined by Escoffier (who counted Ho Chi Minh amongst his students.) The ukulele was originally known by another name, but the Hawaiians took to it and their own name for it (which means "jumping flea") stuck. And I wish I'd known "passim" (meaning "scattered throughout") was a viable reference term back when I was in school.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only complaint this word nerd has about this book is a deplorable lack of pronunciation guides. It is otherwise a delightful romp through the often convoluted history of our colorful language.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief but informative book on foreign words used frequently in English.

[Ainee Beland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book to have around the house; in the bath in particular when idling /lounging around and needing some good laugh. I got this book from a library's book-sale and I turn to it every now and again; it is not a one sitting read but a book to peruse at leisure again and again. I can share an example that is found in this the origin of foreign words used in English: Wunderkind meaning wonder child (German)...in the nineteenth century Germany this phrase often referred musical child prodigies such as Mozart and Beethoven, but the phrase has since expanded to include anyone at an early age with a specific skill, art or talent. A ten-year old with expert skills in, say mathematics, chess or art deserves the title. In English the term has come to include those with remarkable talent or ability who achieve great success or acclaim early in their adult lives. The computer industry has plenty of modern examples.
------------
Troy may be the new wunderkind of alternative theater, but his mother still does his laundry.

[Jina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I found this book to be a bit boring. There were a ridiculous number of French and Latin phrases mentioned in this book, all of which have retained their original meaning and most of which I have never in my life heard. I could see this being an interesting book to have on hand, should one encounter one of these odd words or phrases, but reading it cover to cover was not terribly enjoyable. There were a few gems of information, but other than that - it wasn’t very insightful or entertaining.

[Geoff Cumberbeach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully presented book written interestingly and amusing, sprinkled with comical sketches and very good examples of common use. It is packed full of foreign words we have assimilated, far more than I imagined there would be.
I loved it. Ideal for the throne room. I'll read it again in the future.
Some of the surprising entries: Paparazzi came from the Italian for mosquitos; Ukulele from Hawaiian meaning jumping flea; Pyjamas from Persian - literally 'pai' meaning 'leg' and 'jama' meaning garment.

[Steven Burgauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author seemed pretty full of herself. Admittedly, an enormous number of English words descend from French, especially here in America where French trappers and clergy penetrated deep into the continent.

[Lizzy Perkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book

[Zara's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fun and easy read and would appeal to anyone who has an interest/curiosity about the origins of the words that we use in our everyday language. There are some surprises contained within its pages and then there are ones that make perfect sense. It also manages to highlight just how much we take for granted in our language usage. I really enjoyed reading this book and am likely to go back to it many times in my life. You can easily pick this book up and read wherever you want in it - it doesn’t need to be read from cover to cover if you don’t want to.

[Malola · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a stupid book.
But it does have a couple of interesting ethymologies...

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and simple for word lovers

[Amanda Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about words that are well known and others not so much, from different languages and their inclusion in English

[Beverly]

Interesting. This is a book to read occasionally so will finish it later.

[Pho Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book but I would have liked some more pronunciation aids to help with some of the words for English speakers.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but fairly basic.

[L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the examples and explanations felt misogynistic and stereotypical. There were no pronunciation tips, and the examples most often than not felt unnatural or forced

[Paperclippe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really disappointing and mediocre to be honest. It's good for a quick flip-through but not really worth reading cover to cover, even quickly. It was like a elaborate listicle, and about as factually reliable too. The little cartoons and usage sentences were supposed to be charming but were just annoying and in some places even mildly offensive.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great new reference work that you might just find yourself curling up with as if it were a novel. It explores 'the origin of foreign words used in English', and some of them are pretty amusing.

For example, our term paparazzi referred to the Italian word for mosquito and was related to a Fellini film (how appropriate is that!). And when you say someone has a lot of panache, you probably aren't referring to the feather on their hat, but that is where the word derives from: a plume of feather that exuded flair (French origin). Now we consider panache more of an expression of style (i.e. Johnny Depp has the trademark on panache)! Another interesting word in our literary world is denouement, which originated in the French and referred to 'an untying'. That makes sense, as when we get to the denouement of the book all the complexities usually are unravelled and our understanding is clear.

I enjoyed the different choices of phrases and the accurate explanation of what they originally meant. I always thought Quid Pro Quo meant doing something for free, somewhat mixing it up with Pro Bono. Both of my interpretations were wrong: quid pro quo means something done in exchange for something else (not free). Pro Bono means something done 'for the good' as in a public service.

This is a reference work useful to almost anyone, but I can't help but think a high school or college student might especially benefit from the explanations and fast paced instruction. My only disappointment was that the book doesn't offer pronounciations with the phrases. Most are obvious, but a few really could use a guide on how to correctly pronounce the phrase (thus settling many dinner party disputes).

[미셸 (Undeniably Book Nerdy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My interest for this book was piqued one afternoon while I was browsing the books they had for sale in Costco. I didn't buy it then (though I thought about it) but when I found out it was being offered for review, I jumped at the chance. I've always been interested in language origin so this book was an enjoyable read and I learned a lot. A few of my favorites are:
robot - drudgery (Czech), honcho - squad leader (Japanese)
cushy - easy/pleasant (Urdu), khaki - dusty (Hindi), confetti - sweets (Italian)

The book is filled with interesting stories (both humorous and strange) of the origin of a number of foreign words and phrases used in the English language written with just the right amount of detail. I liked that the words were organized in alphabetical order with the literal meaning of the word (i.e., paparazzi - mosquito [Italian:]). Each of the words were also used in a sentence ("Tamara never used the front entrance to department stores; the paparazzi made window shopping impossible"). I also liked the small playful illustrations that came with some of the words. However, I do wish there's a sort of index at the back of the book with all the words listed and the page number of where to find it--that would've made it a lot easier to find a specific word without doing a lot of flipping. But other than that, A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" is good little reference book with just enough information presented in a fun way for it to be interesting yet very easy to read. 4 out of 5 stars

[Linda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

There can’t be a more American word than “dungarees”, right? Actually, according to author Chloe Rhodes, the word dungarees comes from a Hindi word Dungri which is a cotton cloth used for sails and tents in India. This is the type of word information contained in A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi.

Listed alphabetically, the book gives not only the origin of the words we use, but also how they became included in our language. Many of the words we hear regularly, kowtow, alma mater, kudos, and glitch, have their origins in other countries around the world. How appropriate is the origin of the word “paparazzi” which is an Italian word for mosquitoes!

This is an entertaining book filled with information for those with an interest in words and for those who want to use them correctly. This is the most recent book in a series by Reader’s Digest.

[Joemmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words, phrases, certain sayings we use all the time...do you ever wonder where they came from? "A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi" by Chloe Rhodes lets us in on the origins of things we say every day. From A cappella ( in the manner of the choir) to Zeitgeist (spirit of the time), Chic (elegant) to Sarong (covering), any lover of words will love this book. Examples as well as origins are given alphabetically. This would be a great book for any reader, graduate (high school or college), anyone who is crazy about language.

My Mom instilled me with a love of words, and she would have loved this book! No Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware), needed, this is so much fun!

Get this book for yourself, or for anyone whose Raison d'Etre (reason for being) has anything to do with words. You won't regret it!

I received this book from Julie at FSB Associates for review. Thanks!!

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sheer delight. Like many readers, I love words. I love discovering the origins of words and phrases. Here, I discovered that the origin of paparazzi means mosquito. How appropriate is that? Or how we use the term Al Fresco to mean "in the fresh air" but in Italy it's slang for "in prison".

I was familiar with many of these words and phrases, but not how they came into such wide use. This is one of those fun books that you can just pick up on a whim and entertain yourself. It's a fast, easy read if you want to read it in one sitting. But, I see it placed on a shelf or end table for someone to pick up and peruse for an enlightening few minutes.

Thanks to FSB Associates for the opportunity to review this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my blog...
A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English by Chloe Rhodes is an absolutely delightfully charming book filled with foreign words used within the English language, the origins of the words, their original definitions as well as how the word came about, the current meaning and an example of usage of the word. My family as well as I had a lot of fun discovering the meanings of many words as well as the origins of some of our favourites such as "Reductio ad Absurdum". A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" makes for a fun book to read through, use for reference or give to any lover of etymology as a gift.

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you are a lover of the written word in general, or you simply love to learn about where particular words and saying came from, this is a must read for you. Presented in a reference book style that allows easy look up of your favorites, it can be read straight through or picked up at random to provide a meaning, or saying at a moments notice. You may not recognize them all (I sure didn't) but those that are new will simply be fodder to add to your ever growing knowledge base. Carpe diem! (...and happy reading!)