The Definition of FAUX PAS & FAUX PAS in a Sentence
If you want to know the definition of FAUX PAS, watch this video. Here is a transcript: “The Meaning of FAUX PAS”
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The Meaning of FAUX PAS
(pronounced FOH-PA)
The phrase “faux pas” comes from the French language, where it literally means “false step” or “misstep.”
It originally referred to a misstep or stumble made while dancing, but over time it came to refer more generally to any kind of social mistake or blunder.
The term was adopted into English in the 17th century and is now commonly used to describe an embarrassing or socially awkward situation or action that violates accepted norms of behaviour.
Two typical contexts where the phrase is used are 1) saying something inappropriate in a social gathering, or, 2) wearing inappropriate clothes for a particular occasion.
Let’s look at some illustrated sentence examples,
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In the picture we see a boss with two employees in a discussion.
Sentence: He made a major faux pas when he pointed out his boss’s mistake in front of a colleague.
It’s a faux pas because a boss usually does not like being made to look foolish in front of employees.
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In the picture we see an assistant to a priest at a wedding.
Sentence: Wearing sneakers to a wedding, especially by the priest or church assistants, is surely a faux pas.
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The picture shows a man wearing a long tie.
Sentence: Wearing a tie that extends beyond the belt is considered by experts to be a fashion faux pas.
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As you are interested in the definition of FAUX PAS, here is another phrase English has taken
from another language:
The Meaning of faux pas
Image Credits
Slide 4 – business meeting
Royalty Free
Courtesy of mconnors at Morguefile
https://morguefile.com/p/644923
Slide 5 – wedding
Creative Commons
https://flic.kr/p/6XH9fd
Slide 6 – tie
Creative Commons
Licence: CC BY
Credit: FED
Link: faceseveryday.blogspot.com/2017/03/31-man-wearing-tie.html
https://flic.kr/p/pMNzXv
Regarding the use of illustrations and photographs used in this video:
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If you are interested in the definition of FAUX PAS, be sure to check another entry in THE OTHER LANGUAGE WORDS Guide:
The Meaning of AVANT-GARDE – AVANT-GARDE in a Sentence
