Cassell's Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases

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Are you a bon vivant ? Do you know whether that painting uses chiaroscuro ? From appellation contrôlée to zeitgeist , these 5000 foreign words and phrases will put the world's terminology at your fingertips. It covers everyday expressions ( pro forma ); specialist vocabulary ( barre , the wall-mounted rail used for ballet exercises); and tag lines ( sic transit gloria mundi )-and includes a pronunciation guide, the date when the expression first appeared in written English, detailed word histories, and highlighted points of additional interest.