Twentieth Century Culture and Deportment / Or the Lady and Gentleman at Home and Abroad; Containing Rules of Etiquette for All Occasions, Including Calls; Invitations; Parties; Weddings; Receptions; Dinners and Teas; Etiquette of the Street; Public Places, Etc., Etc. Forming a Complete Guide to Self-Culture; the Art of Dressing Well; Conversation; Courtship; Etiquette for Children; Letter-Writing; Artistic Home and Interior Decorations, Etc.

by Maud C. Cooke

Foreign Phrases.

There are a certain number of French phrases that custom has declared shall take the place of that “pure English undefiled” whereof Spenser wrote. In a few cases these chance to be shorter, more euphonious, and more directly to the point than the corresponding English phrase. For instance, the word “chaperon,” so important in its signification at the present, has no adequate English translation. Below is given an alphabetical list of those phrases in most frequent use, together with the abbreviations that ofttimes serve in place of the full phrase:

French Phrases.	Abbreviations.	Translations.
Bal masque		A masquerade ball.
Chaperon		An older woman attending a girl in society.
Costume de rigueur		Costume to be full dress.
Debut		First appearance.
Debutante		A young girl making her first social appearance.
En ville	E. V.	In town or city.
Fete Champetre		A rural or outdoor entertainment.
Matinee		A morning or daylight entertainment.
Matinee musicale		A daylight musical entertainment.
Musicale		Musical entertainment.
Pour dire adieu	P. D. A.	To say farewell.
Pour prendre conge	P. P. C.	To take leave.
Protege		One under protection.
Repondez s’il vous plait	R. S. V. P.	Reply if you please.
Soirée		An evening party.
Soirée dansante		A dancing party.
Soirée musicale		A musical entertainment.

The term en ville, when used in the place of “city,” in addressing a note that is to pass through the postman’s hands, is a needless and annoying affectation, since it is hardly to be expected that a knowledge of the French language forms one of the qualifications for a letter-carrier’s position, and if delay ensues in delivery, the writer, not the carrier, is to blame.