Per se is a Latin expression that means “by itself” or “intrinsically.”
Cul-de-sac can also be used metaphorically to express an action that leads to nowhere or an impasse.īut the code of omerta was in effect for two carloads of fans circling the cul-de-sac to have a look at the house. Literally it means “bottom of a sack,” but generally it refers to a dead-end street.
This expression was originated in England by French-speaking aristocrats. This famous Latin expression means “the current or existing state of affairs.” If something changes the status quo, it is changing the way things presently are.īush believes that the status quo - the presence in a sovereign country of a militant group with missiles capable of hitting a U.S.
position vis-a-vis our trading partners (Yahoo! News) It’s going to be a huge catalyst in moving the whole process forward and it really strengthens the U.S. It is used more widely as a preposition though, meaning “compared with” or “in relation to.” The literal meaning of this French expression is “face to face” (used as an adverb). In legal terms, de facto is commonly used in contrast to de jure, which means “by law.” Something, therefore, can emerge either de facto (by practice) or de jure (by law).Īnd what of the plastic red bench, which has served as his de facto home for the last 15 years and must by now be a collector’s item? (NY Times) Below you will find 6 foreign expressions commonly used in English, enjoy!ĭe facto is a Latin expression that means “actual” (if used as an adjective) or “in practice” (if used as an adverb). Secondly, because you might also need to use those expressions on particular situations (avoid using them just to sound smart though). First of all because it will enable you to understand pieces of text that include them. Knowing the meaning and usage of the most used ones is very important. Whether you like it or not, foreign expressions represent an integral part of the English language (and of many other languages, too). They invented Mattel together and Barbie and Ken were named after their children.Īnyways, I just thought that was a cool history that I had never heard of until now.6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know By Daniel Scocco Remember playing with Hot Wheels or even Barbies? They're still available of course, but remember playing with them as a kid?Ĥ) Well, did you know the inventors of Hot Wheels (Elliot Handler) and Barbie (Ruth Handler) were married for over two decades BEFORE either toy was invented? Massachusetts, Idaho, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Wisconsin consider adultery a felony. Prosecutions are rare, as these are very old laws. Most likely a 500 dollar fine OR you could go to prison for 90 days.Īnd adultery isn't illegal here in Canada although I believe it can help you get through a divorce slightly faster, (Don't quote me on that) but adultery is still a criminal offense in 21 states in America. Stephen Horner /Orange County Fire Authorityģ) Did you know in New York adultery is technically a crime?Ī person is in fact found guilty in court for adultery when cheating on a living spouse. No gas powered cars on the street and if you want to drive, you'll have to fly. Eventually this design will work with flying cars. The coolest thing about this to me? It's also a beginning to flying cars. The project started in 2002 and it's designed to just have transit only. Just because I wanted to use it in a sentence again.Ģ) Did you know South Korea is currently building a $35 billion city designed to remove the need for cars? Some dictionaries list both "culs-de-sac" and "cul-de-sacs" as acceptable plurals, but when a dictionary lists only one it's "culs-de-sac." Here’s a picture of 2 culs-de-sac back to back. "Cul-de-sac" comes from the French word which means "bottom of the bag." “I've driven on many culs-de-sac?”īelieve it or not, that's correct grammar. 1) Did you know the plural for cul-de-sac is “culs-de-sac?”