The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (46 page)

linguine (lingweenee), linguini
ITALIAN [plural of linguina, diminutive of lingua tongue] noun (in Italian
cuisine) a variety of pasta shaped
into narrow ribbons, or a dish of such
pasta.

liqueur (likar, lilooar) FRENCH [from
Old French licour liquid] noun a
strong, sweetened alcoholic drink flavored with spices, fruit, herbs, or
other substances,

literati (litarahtee) ITALIAN [from
Latin literatus literate] plural noun the
intelligentsia, the educated class,
especially people interested in literature and the arts: "The prize committee's
announcement received a cool reception
among the city's literati."

literatim (littrahtim), litteratim
LATIN [letter for letter, from littera
letter] adverb letter for letter, literally: "Now this is fine it is rich!-and
we have half a mind to punish this young
scribbler for his egotism by really publishing his effusion verbatim et literatim, as
he has written it" (Edgar Allan Poe,
"Ligeia," 1833). adjective letter for
letter, literal.

litotes (I-toteez) GREEK [litos simple
or meager] noun a figure of speech
that uses an understatement, often
a negative assertion, for emphasis,
e.g., "someone not a million miles
away" to mean "someone in close
proximity."

Iitterae humaniores (litarihyoomaneeorayz) LATIN [more humane letters]
plural noun the humanities.

litterateur (litarater, litrater), litterateur FRENCH [person of letters,
ultimately from Latin litterae letters,
literature] noun a literary person
(usually referring to a professional
writer of literature or literary critic):
"Among her numerous suitors was Julien
Bossuet, a poor litterateur, or journalist of
Paris" (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Premature Burial," 1844).

litteratim See LITERATIM.

Ilano (lahno, lano) SPANISH [plain,
ultimately from Latin planum plain,
level] noun an open grassy plain
(often referring specifically to the
grasslands of central America or SW
United States).

locale (lokal) FRENCH [local] noun a
locality, a place, especially the setting
or site of a story or event: "`To Friendship, sir!' said Miss Vere; and why on this
gloomy and sequestered spot, rather than
elsewhere?' `O, the propriety of the locale is
easily vindicated,' replied her father, with a
sneer"' (Walter Scott, The Black Dwarf,
1816).

loc. cit. See IN LOCO CITATO.

loch (lokh, lok) SCOTTISH GAELIC
[akin to Latin lacus lake] noun a lake
or inlet of the sea largely surrounded

by land (usually referring specifically
to such bodies of water in Scotland):
"The road along the edge of the loch is
usually busy with buses and cars carrying
tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the
legendary monster."

loco (loko) SPANISH [crazy] adjective
(slang) mad, crazy.

loco citato See IN LOCO CITATO.

locum tenens (lokam teenenz, lokam
tenenz) LATIN [holding a place] noun
phrase (plural locum tenentes, lokam
tinenteez) a temporary substitute,
a person who assumes the duties
and responsibilities of another on a
temporary basis (usually a doctor or
member of the clergy): "A locum tenens
was called in to cover for the doctor,
who was recovering from his operation."
-abbreviated form locum.

locus (lokas) LATIN [place, locality]
noun (plural loci, lokee, loll, lokee)
a place, location, center of attention.

locus classicus (lokas klasikas) LATIN
[classic passage, classical place] noun
phrase (plural loci classici, lokee klasasi, lokee klas5ld, lokee klasakee) a
classic example (often referring to a
written passage considered a standard
authority on or illustration of a particular subject).

locus standi (lokas standee) LATIN
[place of standing] noun phrase
(plural loci standi, lokee standee) legal term for an acknowledged or
recognized position or status or the
right of a person to be heard by a
court.

loggia (lojeea, loja) ITALIAN [lodge]
noun a roofed open gallery or arcade,
often overlooking an open court: "We
sat chatting cheerily in the library last
night, and she wouldn't let me look into
the loggia, where she was making Christmas preparations" (Mark Twain, What is
Man and Other Essays, 1906).

logos (logos) GREEK [word, speech]
noun (plural logoi, logoi) (in ancient
Greek philosophy) the rational principle that governs the universe; also,
in Christian theology, the Word of
God: "There are those who have seen the
rim and outer seeming of the logos there
are those who have glimpsed and in enthusiasm possessed themselves of some segment
and portion of the Logos..." (Sinclair
Lewis, Babbitt, 1922).

lollo rosso (lolo roso) ITALIAN [red
lettuce] noun a variety of lettuce
with curly, red-edged leaves.

longueur (longer) FRENCH [length]
noun a period of dullness or tedium,
usually referring to a boring passage
in a written work or musical composition: "We had a pleasant evening,
although the play had its longueurs."

loofah (loofa) ARABIC [from luf] noun
a tropical plant of the gourd family

belonging to the genus Luffa, or the
fibrous skeleton of its fruit (traditionall), used as a sponge to scrub the
skin): "He rubbed his back vigorously with
a loofah and then washed off the suds with
clean water."

loquitur lokwitar) LATIN [he says,
from loquor to speak] verb he/she
speaks. "abbreviated form loq.

lorgnette (lorn~et) FRENCH [from
lorgner to take a sidelong look at, to
squint at] noun a pair of spectacles
or opera glasses mounted on a handle:
"The old lady squinted at the child through
her lorgnette and frowned."

lotus (lotas), lotos GREEK [from
lotos] noun (plural lotuses) (in Greek
legend) a fruit that induces a state of
dreamy forgetfulness in anyone who
eats it (sometimes identified as the
fruit of the jujube or elm tree). Also
the name of a genus of leguminous
herbs or shrubs and of various water
lilies with significance in ancient Egyptian and Hindu art.

louche (bosh) FRENCH [cross-eyed,
ultimately from Latin luscus blind in
one eye] adjective dubious, shifty,
disreputable: "The next time she came
home she was accompanied by a rather
louche young man whom her parents disliked intensely."

louver (loovar), louvre FRENCH noun
a shutter with wooden or plastic slats designed to allow the passage of air
into a room but to exclude rain or
sun or ensure privacy (originally a
similar structure placed on the roof
of medieval buildings to provide ventilation).

lucus a non lucendo (lookas a non
lookendo) LATIN [a grove from its
not shining] noun phrase an illogical or absurd derivation or piece
of reasoning (in this instance based
upon the coincidental similarity of
the Latin words lucus grove and lucere
to shine).

ludicrous (loodikras) LATIN [from
ludicrus sportive, from Indus play,
sport] adjective amusingly absurd,
ridiculous, laughable, foolish: "He tried
to adopt a heroic pose, but only succeeded
in making himself look ludicrous."

ludo (loodo) LATIN [I play] noun a
children's board game played with
dice and counters.

Luftwaffe (luuftvafa, luuftwafa) GERMAN [air force] noun the German
air force between the years 1935 and
1945.

luge (loozh) FRENCH [sled] noun a
small sled or toboggan used in
competitions on specially designed
downhill courses, or the sport itself:
"He came off the luge at a terrifying speed
on the fastest part of the run." -verb to
ride on such a sled or toboggan.

lumbago (lumlhgo) LATIN [from
lumbus loin] noun a form of muscular rheumatism affecting the lumbar
region of the back.

lumpen (lumpan) GERMAN [from
Lumpen rags, tatters] adjective of or
relating to individuals who belong to
a subclass of society characterized by
poverty and ignorance.

lumpenproletariat (lumpanprolataireeat) GERMAN [from Lumpen rags,
tatters, and French proletariat poor
working class, coined by the German
political writer Karl Marx (1818-83)]
noun the poverty-stricken, uneducated masses.

lupus (luupas) LATIN [wolf] noun an
ulcerous skin condition with several manifestations, including one
that is due to direct infection with
tuberculosis and one that is due to an
autoimmune reaction to sunlight.

lusus naturae (loosas natyoorl, loosas
natyooree) LATIN [game of nature]
noun phrase a freak of nature, a
natural curiosity. 'abbreviated form
lusus.

luxe (luks) FRENCH [luxury, from
Latin luxus luxury] noun elegance,
luxury.

lycee (lees4) FRENCH [ultimately
from Greek lukeion gymnasium] noun
a public secondary school maintained by the government in a French-speaking country.

lyceum (liseeam, liseeam) GREEK
[from lukeion gymnasium, after the

Lyceum grove of Apollo Lykeios near
Athens where Aristotle taught pupils]
noun a lecture hall, or an association
organizing educational talks, concerts,
and other events.

M. See MONSIEUR.

macabre (makahb, makahbra, makahha) FRENCH [death]y, ghastly, from
danse macabre dance of death, originally
danse de Macabre dance of Maccabaeus]
adjective gruesome, ghastly, grim,
unpleasant, dreadful, concerning death:
"The clouded moon cast a macabre light over
the dreadful scene."

macaroni (macaronee), maccaroni
ITALIAN [from maccheroni, plural of
maccherone, ultimately from Greek
makaria barley food] noun (plural macaronis or macaronies) a variety of
pasta shaped into hollow tubes, or a
dish of such pasta served with cheese
and other ingredients.

macchiato (makeeahto) ITALIAN
[marked] noun espresso coffee in
a small cup, topped with a scoop of
foamed milk.

macedoine (masadwahn) FRENCH
[Macedonian, referring to the mixed
ethnic groups who lived in the empire
of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great] noun a mixture of chopped
fruit or vegetables; by extension, any
confused mixture or medley: "The meat
came with a macedoine of lightly cooked
vegetables."

machete (mashetee, machctce) SPANISH [from macho hammer] noun a
large, broad-bladed knife used to hack
a way through undergrowth, as a
weapon, and for various other purposes: "Several of the terrorists carried
lethal-looking machetes with shiny silver
blades."

machismo (macheezmo, makeezmo,
makismo, machismo) SPANISH [masculinity, from macho male] noun
exaggerated masculinity or masculine
pride, toughness.

macho (macho) SPANISH [male] adjective aggressively male, ostentatiously
virile, tough: "This film will go down
well with those who like their heroes macho
and well-muscled."

machtpolitik (makhtpoliteek), Machtpolitik, GERMAN [power politics] noun power politics, the use of force to
achieve political aims.

macrame (makrahmay), macrame
FRENCH [from Turkish makrama napkin, tablecloth, towel, ultimately from
Arabic miqramah coverlet, bedspread]
noun a variety of lace or other fabric
made by knotting threads or cords in
geometrical patterns. adjective of or
relating to macrame fabric.

macro (makrO) GREEK [from makros long] adjective large; largescale, comprehensive (often used in
combination with other words): "Such
considerations are relatively unimportant
on the scale of international macroeconomics."

macula (makjoola) LATIN [spot] noun
(plural maculae, makjoolee, makjooli)
a discolored spot on the skin, which is
not raised above the surface; also the
central part of the retina in the eye,
where vision is clearest.

madame (madam, madam, madam),
madam FRENCH [my lady] noun (plural madames or mesdames, maydam,
maydahm) a courtesy title used for
a married or mature woman: "The shop
assistant bowed politely. Perhaps madame
would care to follow me."' 'abbreviated
form Mme.

madeleine (madalan, madalayn)
FRENCH [possibly after the French
pastry cook Madeleine Paumier] noun

a small rich sponge cake flavored with
lemon and baked in the shape of a
shell.

mademoiselle (madmwazel, madamwazel, madamazel, mamzel) FRENCH
[my young lady] noun (plural mademoiselles or mesdemoiselles,
ma),dmwazel, maydamwazel, maydamazel) a courtesy title for a young
unmarried girl or woman. "abbreviated form Mlle.

Madonna (madona) ITALIAN [from
Old Italian ma donna, my lady] noun
the Virgin Mary, or a statue or pictorial representation of her; also used
a respectful form of address for an
Italian woman: "The Madonna has been
returned to the church for the first time
since it disappeared during the war."

madrasa (madrasa), madrasah,
medrese (medresay) ARABIC [from
darasah to study] noun a college for
Islamic religious instruction.

madrigal (madrigal) ITALIAN [unaccompanied song, from madrigale, ultimately from Latin matricalis mother]
noun a part-song for a small number
of unaccompanied voices.

maelstrom (alstrom) DUTCH
[whirling stream, from malen to grind,
to whirl around, and strom stream]
noun a powerful whirlpool, or more
generally any turbulent or disruptive
state of affairs: "What passed during that night how the boat escaped from the
eddies of the maelstrom how Ned Land,
Conseil, and myself ever came out of the
gulf, I cannot tell." (Jules Verne, 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea, 1870).