Touché

I had a great conversation this weekend with none other than Rachael and her roommate Nicky about how there are some phrases/words in certain languages that simply cannot be expressed or translated into another language with the same effect. Anyone who is learning to speak a second language can attest that one of the greatest frustrations is learning how to translate idioms and slang. We came to the conclusion that everyone in the world (or everyone that we come into contact with) should know certain phrases, and they are thereby not considered "french" or "spanish" or "italian" they are just the only way to express that phrase. For example, the word "touché" is french, but Americans use it as if it were an English word because there is simply no English word equivalent. "Touché" essentially means "your point is more clever/wittier than mine," but HOW much better does "touché" sound??

Here are just a few examples of how French has influenced English. And how much better are the French words than using the exact English equivalent!?:

• art déco = "decorative art" (short for art décoratif)
• á la carte = "on the menu" (if you want something else (a side order) you order from the carte. Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English)
• au pair= "at par" ( a person who works for a family in exchange for a room and board)
• chic= "stylish" ( chic sounds much more "chic" than stylish)
• cuisine= "kitchen, food style"
• déja vu= "already seen"
• du jour = "of the day"
• en route = "on route, on the way"
• faux= "fake, false"
• fleur-de-lis= "flower of lily"
• hors douevre = "outside of work" ( an appetizer, something besides the main course)
• ménag à trois = "household of three" (sexual threesome)
• nouveau riche = "new rich"(disparaging term for someone who has recently come into money.
• papier mâché= "mashed paper" (used for art)
• petite= "small, short"
• protege= "protected person" (someone whose training is sponsored by a protected person)
• rendez-vous= "go to"
• risqué= "risked" (suggestive, overly provocative)
• RSVP= "respond please" ( comes from Réspondez si'l vous plâit)
• soirée= "evening" ( in english it refers to an "elegant evening")
• souvenir= "memory, keepsake"

There are many phrases in English that I love and use frequently, but have found a decent Spanish equivalent for. We determined that there is definitely no equivalent, at least not in English, to "aprovecharse." "Aprovecharse" means to make use of or to take advantage of, but the English translation just doesn't have the same effect as it does in Spanish! Anyway just how there are so many French words and phrases that we use everyday without even thinking that they are French I think it would be so cool if the world could collectively decide on a few words/phrases in each language that are arguably better said in that language than any other and then establish these as common words/phrases. ¿Me entiendes?