esprit

esprit de corps

The pride and loyalty that members of a group feel toward the group and its purpose. "Esprit" means "spirt" in French, while "corps" is French for "body" or "group." There's a very strong esprit de corps among the teachers at this school—they're very passionate about education and see each other as family.
See also: DE, esprit

l'esprit de l'escalier

A French phrase meaning "the wit of the staircase," a perfect witty remark, retort, or rejoinder that occurs to one after the fact or too late to be used. (Also written as "l'esprit d'escalier.") I was on the bus home long after being tongue-lashed by my boss when I thought of the perfect things to say that would take him down a few pegs. Ah, l'esprit de l'escalier!
See also: DE
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

esprit de corps

A sense of unity, pride, or common purpose among the members of a group. The term came directly from French into English in the late eighteenth century and often was misspelled, as by Jane Austen in Mansfield Park (“I honour your esprit du [sic] corps”). It continued to be used because, as Sir Frank Adcock put it, it describes “that typically English characteristic for which there is no English name” (1930). An American equivalent from the sports world is team spirit.
See also: DE, esprit
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • esprit de corps
  • French letter
  • jeux
  • cream of the crop, the
  • crème
  • crème de la crème
  • apropos
  • apropos of
  • be a (something) through and through
  • blanche
References in periodicals archive
This collection oozes carefree, confidence - just like Esprit, he added.
Esprit opens new outlet in Abu Dhabi
Guodong, "Angle estimation using ESPRIT in MIMO radar," Electronics Letters, vol.
Sparse array angle estimation using reduced-dimension ESPRIT-MUSIC in MIMO radar
China's retail market is still growing at a rate of about 17% and Esprit thinks that it can double its sales in the country from last year's HKD793m by 2015.
Esprit looks to China to revive its business
Before the judge passed sentence, Esprit's counsel William Eaglestone submitted that his client had lost control of his relationship with Carew and lapsed into dishonesty.
MAN IS JAILED FOR CONNING FOOTBALL ACE
Deals from Esprit Holidays are more generous in early December: three days in the snowy white Finnish resort of Saariselka, for instance, start at pounds 699, with some 2-5s holidaying free and big discounts for other children.
PAASPORT
Dethleffs believe the Esprit is the first motorhome in the world to have been designed by women, for women.
Motorhome with a woman's touch
Wider horizons of speed and acceleration were being explored and the Esprit Turbo was a sort of Starship Enterprise that took the performance fan where few had gone before.
Lightning on wheels; CLASSIC CARS with IAN JOHNSON This week: Lotus Esprit Turbo
The 200bhp-plus Esprit Turbo was replaced by the revised style X180 Esprit in 1987.
Bond car that broke bounds
Esprit day trips, ex-Gatwick and Manchester, start at pounds 379 per adult and pounds 199 per child, and three day breaks from pounds 569 per adult.
Sleigh bells ring for trip to see Santa
Introducing Esprit Mold easy-to-use CAM software for high-speed 3- and 5-axis machining.
CAD/CAM & CAE
Says Andy Perrin, who runs family specialist Ski Esprit and sister company Total: "Around 650,000 people book ski holidays through an operator each year, and about 20% of them are ready to commit themselves at this early stage.
deal of the week
They are discipline, morale, esprit de corps and efficiency.
Characteristics serve as indicators of success or failure of unit leadership
Brothers One and All: Esprit de Corps in a Civil War Regiment.
Brothers One and All: Esprit de Corps in a Civil War Regiment
Esprit People really is a different kind of agency with a depth and breadth of hands-on experience in every area of our operations industrial and food production.
Think food production think Esprit People