Foreign-origin Words and Phrases

What does the abbreviation RSVP on a party invitation ask you to do?

• Bring a gift

• Arrive on time

• Reply to say if you will attend

• Dress in formal clothes

Answer explanation

RSVP is from the French phrase 'Répondez s'il vous plaît,' which means 'Please respond.' It asks the person invited to let the host know if they will be coming.

Match each foreign phrase to the situation where it would most likely be used.

• Said to accept a disappointing situation you can't change

• Faux pas

• Said to someone leaving for a trip

• Bon voyage

• Used to describe an embarrassing social mistake

• C'est la vie

Answer explanation

Each phrase is matched to its common usage: 'Bon voyage' means 'have a good trip,' 'C'est la vie' means 'that's life,' and 'faux pas' means 'false step' or social blunder.

Which phrase best completes the sentence: Walking into the old house, I had a strange feeling of _____, as if I had been in that exact room before.

• faux pas

• déjà vu

• status quo

• bona fide

Answer explanation

Déjà vu is the French term for the feeling that one has lived through the present situation before. The other phrases do not fit the context of feeling a moment is familiar.

Sort these phrases into the correct categories: 'Terms for Exchanges' or 'Terms for Authenticity'.

Groups:

(a) Terms for Exchanges

,

(b) Terms for Authenticity

• Quid pro quo

• Bona fide

• Pro bono

• Verbatim

Answer explanation

Phrases are sorted by their meaning. 'Quid pro quo' (an exchange) and 'pro bono' (work done for free) relate to exchanges. 'Bona fide' (genuine) and 'verbatim' (word for word) relate to authenticity.

Which of these situations best describes a faux pas?

• Telling a friend 'congratulations' for winning an award.

• Asking someone when their baby is due, only to find out they are not pregnant.

• Ordering a pizza with extra cheese.

• Thanking the bus driver when you get off the bus.

Answer explanation

A faux pas is an embarrassing social blunder. Asking about a pregnancy that doesn't exist is a classic example, while the other options are polite or neutral actions.

In the sentence, 'The student council wanted to change the rules, but the principal preferred to maintain the status quo,' what does status quo mean?

• The existing state of affairs

• A new set of rules

• A popular opinion

• The school's budget

Answer explanation

Status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the current or existing situation. The principal wanted to keep things as they were, not change them.

Match each phrase to its correct definition.

• Ordering individual items from a menu

• En masse

• In a large group or all together

• À la mode

• Served with a scoop of ice cream

• À la carte

Answer explanation

Each phrase is matched to its meaning. 'À la carte' refers to ordering separate dishes, 'à la mode' means with ice cream, and 'en masse' means in a large group.

The motto carpe diem encourages people to make the most of the present. Which English saying is the closest equivalent?

• Look before you leap

• The early bird gets the worm

• Seize the day

• A penny saved is a penny earned

Answer explanation

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase that literally translates to 'seize the day.' It's a call to live life to the fullest in the present moment.

Sort these phrases by their function: 'Encouragement & Well Wishes' or 'General Observations'.

Groups:

(a) Encouragement & Well Wishes

,

(b) General Observations

• C'est la vie

• Carpe diem

• Bon voyage

• Status quo

Answer explanation

'Bon voyage' (have a good trip) is a well wish, and 'Carpe diem' (seize the day) is a form of encouragement. Both fit into the 'Encouragement & Well Wishes' category. 'C'est la vie' (that's life) and 'status quo' (the way things are) are observations about situations.

In the sentence, 'I was so startled when I saw my doppelgänger at the concert; it was like looking in a mirror!', what is a doppelgänger?

• A famous celebrity

• A long-lost relative

• A person who looks exactly like you

• A reflection in a mirror

Answer explanation

Doppelgänger is a German word for a look-alike or double of a living person. The context clue 'like looking in a mirror' points to this meaning.