225 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

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. Others (crise de conscience) are not only universally resonant in our experience but also transparent.

Once you’ve chosen one expression, use it as a prompt for a short story. 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. 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.

1. ab incunabulis: from the cradle
2. a bon chat, bon rat: to a good cat, a good rat (retaliation in kind)
3. a bouch ouverte: with open mouth (eagerly, uncritically)
4. ab ovo usque ad mala: from egg to apples (from beginning to end)
5. a bras ouverts: with open arms
6. ab uno disce omnes: from one learn to know all
7. a coup sur: with sure stroke (surely)
8. acte gratuit: gratuitous impulsive act
9. ad arbitrium: at will (arbitrarily)
10. ad extremum: to the extreme (at last)
11. ad majorem Dei gloriam: to the greater glory of God
12. ad patres: to his fathers (deceased)
13. ad unguem: to the fingernail (exactly)
14. ad utrumque paratus: prepared for either event
15. aegri somnia: a sick man’s dreams
16. aequam servare mentem: to preserve a calm mind
17. aequo animo: with even mind (calmly)
18. aere perennius: more lasting than bronze
19. a huis clos: with closed doors
20. a l’abandon: carelessly
21. a la belle etoile: under the beautiful star (in the open air at night)
22. a la bonne heure: at a good time (all right)
23. a la page: at the page (up to the minute)
24. alter idem: another self
25. a maximis ad minima: from the greatest to the least
26. a marveille: marvelously
27. amicus humani generis: friend of the human race
28. amicus usque ad aras: a friend as far as to the alters (a friend to the last extremity)
29. ami de cour: court friend
30. armamentum ad baculum: argument of the staff (appeal to force)
31. arrectis auribus: with ears pricked up
32. a torte et a travers: wrong and crosswise (without rhyme or reason)
33. au bout de son latin: at the end of one’s Latin (at the end of one’s mental resources)
34. au fait: to the point (socially correct)
35. au grand serieux: in all serious
36. au mieux: on the best terms (on intimate terms)
37. aurea mediocritas: the golden mean
38. auspicium melioris aevi: an omen of a better age
39. ausssitot dit, aussitot fait: no sooner said than done
40. autres temps, autres moeurs: other times, other customs
41. aut vincere aut mori: either to conquer or to die
42. bellum omnium contra onnes: war of all against all
43. bien-pensant: right minded (orthodox)
44. bon gre, mal gre: whether with good grace or bad (willy-nilly)
45. bonis avibus: under good auspices
45. brutum fulmen: insensible thunderbolt (futile threat of display of force)
47. cadit quaestio: the question drops (the argument collapses)
48. capable de tout: capable of anything (unpredictable)
49. cause sine qua non: an indispensable cause or condition
50. cheval de bataille: war-horse (argument constantly relied on)
51. comedie humaine: human comedy (the whole variety of human life)
52. comedie larmoyante: tearful comedy (sentimental comedy)
53. comagnon de voyage: traveling companion
54. compte rendu: report
55. concordia discors: discordant harmony
56. confessio fidei: confession of faith
57. contemptus mundi: contempt for the world
58. coup de maitre: masterstroke
59. coup d’essai: experiment
60. coute que coute: cost what it may
61. cri de coeur: cry of the heart
62. crise de conscience: crisis of conscience
63. crise de nerfs: crisis of nerves
64. crux criticorum: crux of critics
65. cum grano salis: with a grain of salt
66. custos morum: guardian of morals (censor)
67. de bonne grice: with good grace
68. de l’audace, encore de l’audace, et toujours de l’audace: audacity, more audacity, and ever more audacity
69. de mal en pis: from bad to worse
70. Deo favente: with God’s favor
71. de profundis: out of the depths
72. desipere in loco: to indulge in trifling at the proper time
73. Deus absconditus: hidden God (unknowable God)
74. dies faustus: lucky day
75. dies infaustus: unlucky day
76. dies irae: day of wrath
77. esprit d’le escalier: the wit of the staircase
78. faux bonhomme: false friend
79. faux-naif: affectedly simple or childlike
80. festina lente: make haste slowly
81. feux d’artifice: fireworks, or show of wit
82. folie de grandeur: delusion of greatness, megalomania
83. furor loquendi: rage for speaking
84. furor poeticus: rage for poetry
85. furor scribendi: rage for writing
86. gens du mond: fashionable people
87. guerre a outrance: war to the uttermost
88. haut gout: slight taint of decay
89. hic illae lacrimae: hence these tears
90. homme d’esprit: witty man
91. in omnia paratus: ready for all things
92. in partibus infidelium: in the land of the infidels
93. in statu quo ante bellum: just like before the war
94. januis clausis: behind closed doors
95. jeu de mots: play on words
96. ktema es ai: a possession for ever (enduring art or literature)
97. la belle dame sans merci: the beautiful lady without mercy
98. lacrimae rerum: tragedy of life
99. lapsus calami: slip of the pen
100. lapsus linguae: slip of the tongue
101. laudatory temporis acti: one who praises past times
102. lusis naturae: freak of nature
103. magni nominis umbra: the shadow of a great name
104. malade imaginaire: imaginary invalid
105. malis avibus: under evil auspices
106. mauvais quart d’heure: uncomfortable but brief experience
107. meden agen: nothing in excess
108. mens sana in corpore sano: a sound mind in a sound body
109. metteur et scene: (stage or film) director
110. meum et tuem: mine and yours
111. mirabile visu: wonderful to behold
112. mole ruit sua: it collapses from its own size
113. monumentum aere perennius: a monument more lasting than bronze
114. multum in parvo: much in little
115. mysterium tremendum: overwhelming mystery
116. ne quid nimis: not anything in excess
117. nil admirari: equanimity
118. nolens volens: willy-nilly
119. nostalgie de la boue: attraction to what is unworthy, crude, or degrading
120. novus homo: upstart
121. novus ordo seclorum: a new cycle of the ages
122. nuit blanche: sleepless night
123. obscurum per obscurius: explaining the obscure by means of the more obscure
124. onus probandi: burden of proof
125. ore rotundo: eloquently
126. otium cum dignitate: leisure with dignity
127. outre-mer: overseas
128. pallida Mors: pale Death
129. panem et circenses: bread and circuses
130. pater patriae: father of his country
131. paucis verbis: in a few words
132. pax vobiscum: peace be with you
133. peine forte et dure: strong and hard punishment
134. per angusta ad augusta: through difficulties to honors
135. peu a peu: little by little
136. peu de chose: a trifle
137. peu d’occasion: piece for a special occasion
138. piece justificative: document serving as evidence
139. piece montee: set piece (said of decorative food)
140. pleno jure: with full right
141. plus royaliste que le roi: more royalist than the king
142. pocas palabras: few words
143. point de repere: point of reference
144. police verso: with thumb turned (down)
145. pour rire: for laughing (not to be taken seriously)
146. pro aris et focis: for alters and firesides
147. pro bono publico: for the public good
148. pro hac vice: for this occasion
149. pro patria: for one’s country
150. pro rege, lege, et grege: for the king, the law, and the people
151. pro re nata: as needed
152. quantum mutates ab illo: how changed from what he once was
153. quantum sufficit: as much as suffices
154. quoad hoc: to this extent
155. quod erat demonstrandum: which was to be proved
156. quod erat faciendum: which was to be done
157. quod semper, quod ubique, quo dab omnibus: what (has been held) always, everywhere, by everybody
158. quorum pars magna fui: in which I played a great part
159. raison d’etat: reason of state
160. reculer pour mieux sauter: to draw back in order to make a better jump
161. re infecta: the beusiness being unfinished
162. religio loci: religious sanctity of a place
163. ruse de guerre: war strategem
164. rus in urbe: country in the city
165. saeva indignatio: fierce indignation
166. sal Atticum: Attic salt (wit)
167. salon des refuses: salon of the refused (exhibition of officially rejected art)
168. salto mortale: deadly jump (dangerous or crucial undertaking)
169. sancta simplicitas: holy simplicity (naivete)
170. sans doute: without doubt
171. sans gene: without embarrassment or constraint
172. sans peur et sans reproche: without fear and without reproach
173. sans souci: without worry
174. scene a faire: obligatory scene
175. secundum artem: according to the art (according to the accepted practice)
176. secundum naturam: according to nature (naturally)
177. se defendendo: in self-defense
178. semper eadem: always the same (feminine form)
179. semper fidelis: always faithful
180. semper idem: always the same (masculine form)
181. semper paratus: always prepared
182. simpliste: naive
183. splendide mendax: nobly untruthful
184. spolia opima: rich spoils (spoils of the victor)
185. status quo ante bellum: the state existing before the war
186. suaviter in modo, fortiter in re: gently in manner, strongly in deed
187. suo jure: in his own right
188. suo loco: inits proper palce
189. suo marte: by one’s own exertions
190. sur place: in place (on the spot)
191. suum cuique: to each his own
192. tant mieux: so much the better
193. tant pis: so much the worse (too bad)
194. tempus edax rerum: time, that devours all things
195. totidem verbis:: in so many words
196. totis viribus: with all one’s might
197. toto caelo: by the whole extenet of the heavens
198. toujour perdix: always partridge (too much of a good thing)
199. tour d’horizon: circuit of the horizon (general survey)
200. tous frais faits: all expenses defrayed
201. taut au contraire: quite the contrary
202. tout a vous: wholly yours (at your service)
203. tout bien ou rien: everything well (done) or nothing (attempted)
204. tout court: quite short (simply)
205. tout de meme: all the same (nevertheless)
206. tout de suite: Immediately
207. tout ensemble: all together
208. tout le monde: everybody
209. trahison de clercs: treason of the intellectuals
210. tanche de vie: slice of life
211. tristesse: melancholy
212. ultima ratio regum: the final argument of kings (war)
213. uno animo: with one mind
214. urbi et orbi: to the city and the world (to everyone)
215. utile dulci: the useful with the agreeable
216. va et vient: coming and going (traffic)
217. ventre a terre: belly to the ground (at very great speed)
218. verbatim ac litteratim: word for word, and letter for letter
219. vieux jeu: old game (old hat)
220. vin du pays: wine of the locality
221. virgo intacta: untouched virgin
222. virtute et armis: by valor of arms
223. vis medicatrix natureae: the healing power of nature
224. vita nuova: new life
225. vox et praeterea nihil: voice and nothing more