Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Today you’ll get three phrases that are common in English but are borrowed from other languages.

We call them “loan words.”

They are “on loan.”

There is no way to say these phrases in the exact same way using English words so we use words from other languages.

Find out more about how to use these phrases when you speak English with natives in today’s episodes.

Borrowed phrases in English:

  • #1: Status quo: This means the current state of affairs.
    • “Are you happy with the status quo in terms of your living situation?”
    • “Let’s stick with the status quo because people seem to like our episodes.”

 

  • #2: Gung-ho: This became a battle cry for the US Marines and it meant to work together at another time in history. Now it is used to mean enthusiastic or excited about something.

 

  • #3: Faux-pas: This comes from French. If you translate it literally it means a “false step.” We use it to talk about a social blunder or a social mistake.  We use this word a lot when we talk about fashion. We might say, “I can’t believe what she’s wearing. What a faux pas.”
    • “Is it a faux pas to show up late for a party in the US?”

 

  • **Bonus: Bon Apetit: We sometimes use this in English at the beginning of a meal because we don’t have any other way to say “eat well” or “enjoy your meal.”

 

All Ears English TranscriptsMake sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.

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Can you think of any other borrowed phrases from other languages that we use in English?

Let us know in the comments section below.

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