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Le Mot Juste: A Dictionary of Classical and Foreign Words and Phrases
from: Vintage
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 422.403
EAN: 9780679734550
ISBN: 0679734554
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 176
Publication Date: December 03, 1991
Publisher: Vintage
Release Date: December 03, 1991
Studio: Vintage
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Editorial Review:
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.
Does the continual influx of foreign words and phrases into the English language make you feel like a dummkopf? Does the proliferation of Greek and Latin leave you completely non compos mentis? Ça ne fait rien. Slough off that angst and stop that kvetching--this is no casus belli. With the assistance of Le Mot Juste, soon you, too, will be spewing mots justes ad hoc and sans souci. All it takes is a little chutzpah. Nota bene: next time you meet someone with a lapsus memoriae for sounds foreign, refrain from schadenfreude. We can't all be so au courant. --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - An Indispensable Reference
One of the most useful references in my library, although it is small enough to soon outgrow it. However, for those who do not use foreign phrases too often, this is the the reference to have, for those who want a more robust version, I recommend the next step up this ladder: The Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases.
This version was small enough in fact that I integrated all of the words into my online dictionary, and still I sometimes forget and go back to the ... Read More
Rating: - About time
This book helps fill in the blanks to better understand phrases. Not covered in the usual language text or course.
Rating: - Really fun and cute book!
I had fun flipping through this book and reading phrases in all sorts of languages, including Latin, some of which I found I had the wrong idea of what they meant! If you've studied say German, you'll recognize and know the simple phrases in that chapter, but there's still French, Italian and so on to learn from.
Rating: - Incredibly useful book
I love Le Mot Juste. My 1987 edition copy is well-worn. It is good to see that the book is continuing to be updated. Sylvester Mawson's original version was published in 1934!
Nearly always, I have been successful in finding expressions I have looked up in these pages. But, if you are like me, a lover of lists, you will enjoy browsing when you are not hunting for the meaning of a word.
In my edition, the definitions are not separated into language groups, which means you don't have to know ... Read More
Rating: - C'EST UN BON LIVRE
In a world where many foreign words and phrases have become increasingly common in both spoken and written English, this book is almost a necessity.
It clarifies numerous words and phrases from Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish that are used, and just as often, misused, by English speakers and writers.
A few examples:
Under French we find "maison de societe" which literally translates to society house. I had always thought that this must refer ... Read More
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