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I complain quite a bit. A while back I was reading a response
to one of my formal complaints to the NEC corporation. The respondent
used a phrase which bothered me a great deal. The phrase was "caveat
emptor." This was from a person who was essentially a peddler.
I suppose he wanted to give the impression that he was more than
that.
Have you noticed this? It seems to me that too many writers use non-English words and phrases. It's as though they think they can impress us with some kind of pseudo sophistication. Your reading along in a rather ordinary book and, suddenly, there's a foreign word or phrase, totally disrupting the flow of the story. It's usually out of context and it's usually not technically correct. Many people use these words without knowing what they really mean.
In most cases, there is a perfectly valid English language equivalent for the word, but the writer wants to impress us with his sophistication. For myself, I'm not that easily impressed. I am easily annoyed. You've seen this silliness, I'm sure. Caveat emptor is just one. Here are some others. Hors de combat, cum laude, Non-de-plume. Crap!
Non-de-plume! It's French. You might know. You know what I think it means? It means we got no inside plumbing. The toilets in the back yard. That's all. You want to take a bath? There's a copper washtub on the back porch. Heat your own water.
Oh sure, just like in English, it depends on context. If a maid says non-de-plume, it probably just means I don't do bathrooms. Who could blame her?
Also, a grocer could say non-de-plume. He probably means, we don't have any prunes. How about some nice raisins, or perhaps some peaches?
There is one other context for this phrase. It can be used as a very personal insult. If a Frenchman points at another man and says, "Ce homme etre non-de-plume," you can bet there is going to be one heck of a fight. The guy has just made a derogatory statement about the other man's anatomy. He has said, in effect, "This guy don't have any plumbing." Well, even a Frenchman can be goaded into a shin kicking contest.
That about wraps it up for non-de-plume. I hope you understand a bit better now. As to other phrases, here is a simple list of meanings. I hope it will help you in your reading.
Caveat emptor simply means, the emperor is cavorting around again. It derives from the early days of Rome's decline. The original phrase was "Nero fiddled while Rome burned." Almost everyone has heard that, but most people don't realize what was implied in the word fiddled.
Hors de combat, as you would guess, means, the horses are fighting.
Cum laude, is the same as the Italian Fortissimo. It means, sing or play real loud.
Bona fide, means, the dogs bone.
Ad hoc, means, to go further into debt.
Carte blanche, means, the cart is empty.
Chutzpah, means, Mr Chutz's father.
Coup de grace, means, the chickens are graceful.
Coup d'état, means, eat the chickens.
Détente, means, the tent.
En masse, means, go to church.
Faux pas, means, the fox got away.
In situ, means, go in and sit down.
Perestroika, means, Perry refuses to work.
Pro tempora, means, Temporary professional. It's like Kelly Girls.
Terra firma, means, tear it with force.
I just hope all of this will improve your reading pleasure.
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