Wednesday, January 17, 2007

WORD A DAY

SOIDISANT: self-styled, co-called.

"Soi-disant," which in French means literally "saying oneself," is one of hundreds of French terms that entered English in the 18th century, during the period known as the Enlightenment. Even as political antipathies between France and England were being played out on the battlefields in Europe and America, English speakers like Lord Chesterfield were peppering their correspondence with French. "Soi-disant" first began appearing in English texts in 1752 as a disparaging adjective for those who style or fancy themselves in some role.

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