French English (French pronunciation)

RSVP

répondez s’il vous plaît

etiquette

savoir-vivre

CERN, The European Organization for Nuclear Research

Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire

... (literally “I don't know what”); "something" ("to coś")

je ne sais quoi

perfume

eau de toilette

in (a) natural (condition). For objects, it means they have not been altered.

au naturel

unlimited discretionary power to act; unrestricted authority

carte blanche

a military take - over

coup d’état

The best of the best, used to describe highly skilled people or objects.

crème de la crème

That weird feeling you get when you’re sure something has already happened.

Déjà vu

A figure of speech in which a word can be taken to have two meanings often leading to sexual innuendo. Most British jokes centre around it.

double entendre

On the way – said while travelling to a place

en route

Moving in a mass or group, all together.

en masse

A bathroom attached directly to a bedroom.

en suite

"Spirit of the body": a feeling of solidarity among members of a group.

esprit de corps

A social gaffe when you do something that goes against accepted, though usually unwritten, social rules.

faux pas

"Deadly woman": an attractive woman who seduces and takes advantage of men for her personal goals.

femme fatale

"High cooking": the very best form of cooking.

haute cuisine

"In place (of)". Something was done instead of something else.

in lieu (of)

"Joy of living": a feeling people have when they are living life to the full and are generally optimistic about it.

joie de vivre

The best and final thing in a long list of achievements which is better than anything which has happened before. Often used in cooking, for example, just before revealing the dessert.

pièce de résistance

"Reason for being": justification or purpose of existence.

raison d'être

"Head to head"; an intimate get-together or private conversation between two people. (Rozmowa w cztery oczy).

tête-à-tête