faux pas

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See also: Fauxpas

English

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Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from French faux pas (faux pas, blunder; misstep, false step).

Pronunciation

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Singular

Plural

Noun

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faux pas (plural faux pas)

  1. An embarrassing or tactless blunder.
    Synonyms: misstep, mistake, blunder; see also Thesaurus:error
    • 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:
      Now my dear Lady Teazle if you but once make a trifling Faux Pas you can't conceive how cautious you would grow, and how ready to humour and agree with your Husband.
    • 1906, Chesterton, Charles Dickens, chapter 2:
      A saint after repentance will forgive himself for a sin; a man about town will never forgive himself for a faux pas.
    • 2023 June 10, Roula Khalaf, “Lunch with the FT: François Hollande”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 3:
      He was also prone to faux pas, none as memorable as his 2014 secret escapade from the Élysée. He was captured in full-faced helmet on the back of a motor scooter on his way to meet his mistress, the actress Julie Gayet, who is now his wife.

Usage notes

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  • Especially used in social situations and contexts.

Translations

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French

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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faux pas m (plural faux pas)

  1. stumble, misstep, false step
  2. (figuratively) faux pas, blunder
    Synonyms: gaffe (informal), bourde (informal), impair

Descendants

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  • Danish: faux pas
  • English: faux pas
  • German: Fauxpas
  • Polish: faux pas
  • Russian: фо па́ (fo pá)

See also

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Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology

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Unadapted borrowing from French faux pas.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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faux pas n (indeclinable)

  1. faux pas, blunder
    Synonyms: gafa, nietakt, wtopa, wpadka

Further reading

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  • faux pas in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • faux pas in Polish dictionaries at PWN