Savoir Faire

Add hundreds of foreign phrases to your daily lexicon and learn about their quirky, fascinating origins!
Some foreign phrases are so good they become a sort of lingua franca. They capture the true zeitgeist, where the English translation is just comme ci, comme ca. If you're a linguistics geek or language lover with a curiosity about the origins of the foreign phrases, you need this book on your shelf.
Savoir Faire is a beautifully designed reference book that includes approximately 1,000 foreign phrases in languages that run the gamut from French to German to Japanese and more. Entries for each phrase offer precise translations, the surprising origins of expressions, and commonly used terms you didn't even know were foreign. It's possible you'll find a phrase or two that you've been using incorrectly! Savoir Faire will save you from the embarrassment of misusing a foreign phrase and promises to up the ante on your everyday lexicon with hundreds of new phrases. This book also includes phonetic pronunciations for each phrase (you'll be surprised what you've been mispronouncing!) and sidebars that explore the quirks of some favorite expressions.
Don't suffer one more trip to the museum asking yourself, "What the heck is trompe l'oeil?" Don't put down yet another Umberto Eco novel out of sheer confusion. And avoid tumbling into the camp of declasse--instead become one of the intelligentsia! This handy pocket guide will make you a true cognoscente of culture.

Laura Lee is the author of fifteen books, which include Schadenfreude, Baby!, Blame It on the Rain: How Weather Has Changed History, and Broke is Beautiful: Living and Loving in the Cash-Strapped Life. She is best known for her humorous reference, The Pocket Encyclopedia of Aggravation. The San Francisco Chronicle has said of her work: "Lee's dry, humorous tone makes her a charming companion... She has a penchant for wordplay that is irresistible." Laura brings an eclectic background that includes time spent as a radio announcer, an improvisational comic, and a professional mime. After a three-year stint as a part-time touring public relations director for a Russian ballet company, Laura has returned to her native Michigan where she divides her time between writing and producing ballet educational tours with Russian ballet star Valery Lantratov. More information about Laura can be found at her website: lauraleeauthor.wordpress.com