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An action or event that brings a swift end to suffering or a worsening situation. The phrase is French for "blow of mercy." The samurai delivered a merciful coup de grâce to his mortally wounded enemy. The large class action lawsuit was the coup de grâce that caused the failing company to finally go out of business.

Of a person or a thing, the very best of a similar group or type. Literally translated from French as "cream of the cream." This car is the crème de la crème of luxury vehicles. Janet is the crème de la crème of photographers.

A circular street with only one opening for ingress or egress. I grew up on an idyllic cul-de-sac in the suburbs with many of my friends as neighbors. Aw man, this is a cul-de-sac and not a regular street? Guess I'm not cutting through to that neighborhood from here then.

A Latin phrase meaning "in fact" that is used to describe things that exist but are not formally or legally recognized. Megan may be the official head of the department, but Lisa is the de facto leader, as she is more involved in day-to-day tasks.

From Latin, meaning "trifling," a legal principle asserting that trivial matters are not worthy of judicial scrutiny. A shortening of the Latin maxim de minimis non curat lex, meaning "the law does not care about the smallest things." They want to drag our entire company to court because of a scratch on their car that they allege was caused by one of our machines. I implore the court to realize how insignificant this is and apply the de minimis doctrine.

From Latin, meaning "the law does not care about the smallest things," a legal principle asserting that trivial matters are not worthy of judicial scrutiny. They want to drag our entire company to court because of a scratch on their car that they allege was caused by one of our machines. I implore the court to acknowledge that this clearly falls under the doctrine of de minimis non curat lex.

Required in order to seem fashionable. Is it still de rigeur to wear a tuxedo to this event?

Unnecessary or superfluous. This French phrase means "too much." Having both a castle and pony rides is de trop for a one-year-old's birthday party, don't you think?

To delete a friend from one's network on a social media site. I can't believe he defriended me just because I disagreed with an article he posted.

In feudalism, a lord's right to have sexual intercourse with one of his serf's brides on their wedding night. This French phrase means the "right of the lord" in English. As the lord of the manor, I can exercise my droit de seigneur on her wedding night.

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.

Occurring at the end of a century, especially the 19th century (when traditional values were in a state of upheaval). This French phrase means "end of century." A work like "The Importance of Being Earnest" can help us to better understand fin de siècle sensibilities.

An exclamation of disbelief, annoyance, disagreement, dismissal, etc., akin in meaning to "get out of here." An Irish expression seemingly unique to Dublin. Ah, here! Would you get up the yard! I'm not spending that much on a bleedin' computer.

Ebullient happiness and love of life. From French, literally meaning "joy of living." He isn't the most responsible person I've ever met, but his joie de vivre is positively infectious.

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!

An exceptionally masterful performance or achievement, especially in the arts. The director's latest movie is a tour de force of filmmaking. The Olympic gymnast's final routine was a tour de force that earned her a gold medal.

Immediately; at once; as quickly as possibly. Often given the coarse pronunciation "toot sweet" or incorrect spelling "tout suite" in English. I suggest you pay the bill tout de suite, or the bank will start charging you interest. As soon as we heard the police sirens, we got out of there tout de suite.

The best or choicest of anything, as in The apples from this orchard are definitely the cream of the crop. The noun cream has been used to mean "the best" since the 16th century. The French equivalent of the present term, la crème de la crème ("the cream of the cream") was familiar in English by 1800.

Finishing stroke. The phrase is French for “blow of mercy,” a death blow administered to end a wounded person’s suffering. It probably originated in dueling or other sword fighting and had been adopted into English by about 1700 and was already being used figuratively for the finishing stroke for any kind of enterprise. For example, “He carefully placed the figures of bride and groom on top of the cake, the coup de grâce for an artistic creation.”

The very best of all. Cream is, of course, the richest part of milk and rises to the top. It was transferred to mean the best of any collective entity by the seventeenth century. John Ray, for example, included “That’s the cream of the jest” in his collection of English proverbs (1678). The exact locution involving the best of the crop was no doubt adopted for its alliterative appeal. The French version, la crème de la crème, literally “the cream of the cream,” meaning the best of the best, was well known in English by 1800 or so and also is considered a cliché. It gained new impetus in Muriel Spark’s novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, first made into a play, then a motion picture (1969), in which the schoolteacher-heroine assures her students that they will, under her tutelage, become the crème de la crème.

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.

The most notable or most highly prized feature of a group or series; the star attraction. Originally, from the 1790s or so, this French term always referred to a meal’s greatest delicacy (an appropriate matter of concern to French palates). By the mid-nineteenth century the term had been transferred to other outstanding items, at least in English. Thackeray, in an essay (1840) about art, stated: “To supply the picture lover with the pièces de résistance of the feast.”

The supposed right of a nobleman to deflower the bride of any of his serfs on their wedding night. The phrase, which translates as “the lord's right” was also known as “the law / right of the first night.” Despite its widespread appearance in popular culture, reports of the “right” having been exercised are very rare. It was more a representation for or a warning about the power that a feudal lord could exert over his tenants. Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro, involves Count Almaviva's efforts to exercise his right with Figaro's bride, Susanna. The phrase survives as a seldom-used metaphor for unlimited authority over another, such as a boss over an employee, notwithstanding the gender of either party.