beau geste

English

Etymology

Borrowing from French beau (“beautiful”) + geste (“gesture”)

Noun

beau geste (plural beaux gestes)

1. A gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substance.
   • "In a magnificent beau geste, the destroyer, hopelessly trapped, turned as if to flee, threw out a smoke screen, and when the [enemy ship] charged into it, rammed her at flank speed..." --William Manchester, The Last Lion Vol. 2, page 635

Translations

gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substance

• Icelandic: (fake benevolence) uppgerðargóðvild (is) f, (pretentious magnanimity) sýndardrengskapur (is) m, (a noble act) göfugmannlegt verk (is) n, (an honourable deed) drengskaparbragð (is) n