ad lib – ad libitum – Improvised, spontaneous. While rehearsing the play, the actor ad
libbed his own lines.
ad hoc – For this specific purpose only. The mayor formed an ad hoc committee to
study the planned mall extension.
ad infinitum – To infinity.
The set of natural numbers goes on ad infinitum.
a la carte – Ordered as a seperately priced item. I didn’t want the vegetables so I
ordered the fish a la carte.
a la mode – Served with ice cream. I like hot apple pie a la mode.
al dente – Cooked so as to be still firm when bitten. Spaghetti tastes best when it is cooked
al dente.
alma mater – Refers to the college or university that you
graduated from.
ante bellum – Before the war (usually the American Civil
War). The ante bellum South was
known for its vast fields of cotton.
a priori – Of reasoning – proceeding from causes to effects. Deductively, without previous
investigation. Just by looking, he
knew a priori that the earth was flat.
au fond – French – At bottom, basically. Although his actions were questionable,
he was au fond a good person.
au gratin – French – Sprinkled with breadcrumbs and/or grated
cheese and browned. Her au gratin
potatoes were the hit of the Thanksgiving dinner.
bona fide – Real, not fake.
The painting was a bona fide Rembrandt.
de facto – In fact, in reality. John was the de facto decision maker in the company.
de rigueur – Required by custom or etiquette. In days gone by, it was considered de
rigueur for a gentleman to stand when a lady entered the room.
du jour – Describes something that is short-lived. The restaurant was serving corn chowder
as its soup du jour on Monday.
Ergo – Therefore. I
am a man, ergo I like computer games.
“Cogito ergo sum” – I think, therefore I am. – René Descartes
et al. – et alia –
Latin – And others. According to
Einstein et al. we live in a strange universe.
etc. – etcetera
Latin – used at the end of a list to show that more items of a similar
nature are included.
femme fatale – a dangerously attractive woman.
in situ – In its original place. The fossil was left in situ by the excavation team.
in toto – Completely, without exception. The student body in toto was polled
about their opinion on the tuition increase.
in vitro – In glass.
Refers to biological processes that occur in the laboratory.
ipse dixit – Latin - An unproven assertion resting only on the
authority of a speaker; a dogmatic statement. The court judged that the evidence for the prosecution
rested solely on the ipse dixit of the witness and therefore found for the
defense.
ipso facto – Latin – By the fact itself; thereby. John had the best grade point average
so he ipso facto became the class president.
je ne sais quoi – An indefinable quality, something
indescribable. She had a
certain je ne sais quoi about her which I found very attractive.
loc. cit. – loco citato – Latin – In the place cited. Like op. cit. but means also on the
page already referenced.
mea culpa – My fault.
When the boss asked our group why the project was delayed, I said “Mea
culpa.”
magnum opus – The best work done by an artist. The Mona Lisa was
da Vinci’s magnum opus.
op. cit. – opus citatum – Latin – In the work already
quoted. It is used in a footnote
to refer the reader to a previously cited work so the full title does not have
to be repeated.
per diem – By the day.
A per diem means a daily allowance for a business traveler
per se – By itself.
I don’t find the subject of science boring per se, but the professor
puts me to sleep.
persona non grata – An unacceptable person, somebody who is not
welcome. As a man, I was a persona
non grata in the women’s locker room.
sine qua non – Indispensable, absolutely essential. Being in the best possible physical
shape is a sine qua non condition for mountain climbing.
sotto voce – In an undertone or aside. Muted. When the
boss told us about the layoffs, I heard George mutter sotto voce.
sous-chef – Someone who works under the direction of the main
chef in a restaurant.
status quo – The existing state of things. I support the Women’s Movement because
I’m not happy with the status quo.
tabula rasa – A blank tablet – a mind with no
preconceptions. A baby is a tabula
rasa waiting to be imprinted with the stamp of its culture.
terra firma – Land as opposed to the sea. I was anxious during the sea voyage
until we reached harbor and once again I was able to stand on terra firma.
verbatim – Exactly as stated. I repeated the message to him verbatim.
vice versa – Reverse the order of. She liked me and vice versa. (Means I liked her as well)
Voila – An exclamation meaning “there you are” or “there it
is.” “Voila!,” she cried as she
held out her latest painting to show to her friends.
