Le Mot Juste: A Dictionary of Classical and Foreign Words and Phrases

by John Buchanan-Brown (Editor)

Tired of making faux pas because you don't know the difference between sub rosa and sub voce? Then this lexicon is a bona fide desideratum.

Simply and concisely, it clarifies hundreds of words and phrases from Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Yiddish that have become part of the English language but are often confused or misused. Along with its definition, every term is accompanied by a phonetic guide to its pronunciation. Plus, there's an appendix of words derived from classical mythology -- such as delphic, erotic, laconic, odyssey, and thespian -- and two comprehensive lists of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes. The result is a sui generis (Latin, SU-ee GEN-er-is, unique, in a class itself) Meisterstuck (German, MY-ster-shtook, masterpiece) of lexicography that's guaranteed to give cognoscenti or naifs a greater understanding of the English language and its foreign borrowings.

Genres: Reference, Language, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure.

[Tara Callahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little book of new vocabulary words from different languages. I feel smart and sophisticated now.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a birthday gift from my aunt; I spent hours reading it and memorizing useful phrases. A great reference for those pesky non-english idioms that you can't remember the meaning of.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an earlier edition.

[Shaunt]

Indispensable knowledge to avoid the next faux pas.