I've been scanning alphabetically ever since! SO it took awhile to do the review!
Synopsis: Organized alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" is an accessible lexicon of foreign words and phrases used in English, containing everything from aficionado (Spanish) to zeitgeist (German). Inside you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and a descriptive timeline of each item's evolution. Entries include:
- À la carte: from the card or of the menu (French)
- Fiasco: complete failure (Italian)
- Dungarees: thick cotton cloth/overalls (Hindi)
- Diaspora: dispersion (Greek)
- Smorgasbord: bread and butter (Swedish)
- Cognoscenti: those who know (Italian)
- Compos mentis: having mastery of one's mind; with it (Latin)
Author Info:
Chloe Rhodes is a freelance journalist who has worked for The Telegraph, Guardian and The Times as well as numerous other respected publications. She lives in North London with her husband.
This is a fun little 'bon mot' of a book! I found alot of words that were Turkish (Bazaar anyone?) or Japanese (been a little honcho lately?) in nature, that I was totally unaware of! The French, Spanish and German words I pretty much knew, but that's primarily because of ethnic background and where we've lived (i.e. you pick up alot of French phrases living in Louisiana!).
If you're looking for a funny unique book (the author's illustrations are hysterical at times though she seems to have a penchant for sheep...hmmmm) that is a great conversation starter. Check it out today!
Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review
purposes by FSB Media, free of charge. I was NOT told how
to
review
it and there was
no other compensation given to me!