The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (57 page)

pate (patz), pate FRENCH [paste]
noun a rich spread made with
chopped or seasoned meat, liver, or
fish.

pate de foie gras (patay da fwah gra)
FRENCH [pate of fat liver] noun phrase
(plural pates de foie gras) a rich
pate made with fatted goose liver.

patella (patch) LATIN [diminutive of
patina shallow dish] noun (plural patellas or patellae, patelee, patelt) a
kneecap; can also refer in botany, zoology, etc. to any panlike or cuplike
shape: "The x-ray clearly showed a fracture
of the patella"

pater (atar) LATIN [father] noun father;
may also be used as an abbreviated
form of paternoster.

paterfamilias (patarfamileeas, pahtarfamileebs, pavtarfamileeas) LATIN
[from pater father and familias household] noun (plural patresfamilias,
patreezfamileeas, pahtreezfamileeas,
paytreczfamileeas) the father of a
family, the head of a household.

paternoster (pahtarnostar, ptarnostar) LATIN [from paternoster our father,
from the opening words of the Lord's
Prayer] noun the Lord's Prayer, or
music written to accompany it; can

also refer to any form of words recited
as a prayer or charm.

pathetique (patheteek) FRENCH [moving] adjective (in music) moving,
with feeling.

pathos (paythos, pathos, pathos)
GREEK [feeling, emotion, suffering,
from pathein to experience, to suffer]
noun a feeling or expression of sympathy or pity, or something that evokes
pity, compassion, or tenderness: "The
pathos of the plight of the refugees was
inescapable and overwhelming."

patina (pateena, aatana) ITALIAN
[shallow dish] noun a green film that
appears naturally on copper or bronze
with time through oxidation and hence
any surface shine or gloss that an object
acquires with age or exposure to acids:
"He glanced once at his favorite tree, elm
twigs against the gold patina of sky, and
fumbled for sleep as for a drug" (Sinclair
Lewis, Babbitt, 1922).

patio ( aateeo) SPANISH [outdoor space]
noun a courtyard, terrace, or other
area adjoining a house that is suitable
for various outdoor activities, such as
eating meals or relaxing in the sun:
"She was waiting for her husband on the
patio, a cocktail in each hand."

patisserie (patissree) FRENCH [from
patisserie pastry, bakery, from pasticier
to make pastry, ultimately from Latin
pasta paste] noun a pastry or a bak ery where French pastries are made
or sold: "A good patisserie is an essential
feature of the typical French toumscape."

patois (atwah) FRENCH [rough
speech, possibly from Old French
patoier to handle roughly] noun (plural
patois, patwahz) a nonstandard dialect, the language of a particular social
group or trade, jargon.

pavane (pavan), pavan FRENCH [from
Italian dialect panano of Padua] noun
a formal, stately court dance of the
16th century, or music written to
accompany this.

pax (paks, pahks) LATIN [peace, harmony] noun peace, especially peace in
international relations; may also refer to
the kiss of peace during the Mass.

pax Romana (paks romahna, pahks
romahna) LATIN [Roman peace] noun
phrase the period of peace and prosperity that existed under the rule of
ancient Rome; may also refer generally to ancient Roman culture and
civilization.

pax vobiscum (paks vobiskam, pahks
vobiskam) LATIN [peace with you]
interjection peace be with you: "As
he opened the door, the Milesian features
of Father McShane presented themselves,
and from their center proceeded the clerical
benediction in Irish-sounding Latin, Pax
vobiscum!" (Oliver Wendell Holmes,
ElsieVenner, 1859-60).

paysan (payzan) FRENCH [country]
noun a peasant or a person from the
country (usually in a French-speaking
country). adjective peasant style: "This
paysan style of cookery has become very
popular among chefs in recent years."

P.C. See PERCENT.

p.d. See PER DIEM.

p.e. See PAR EXEMPLE.

peccadillo (pekadilo) SPANISH [little
sin, diminutive of pecado sin] noun
(plural peccadillos or peccadilloes)
a minor vice, a trifling offense or
petty fault: "The papers are always full
of revelations about the peccadillos of
public figures."

peccavi (pekahvee) LATIN [I have
sinned] interjection an acknowledgment of sin or error: "`O, I say, Maggie,'
said Tom at last, ling up the stand, we
must keep quiet here, you know. If we break
anything, Mrs. Stelling'll make us cry peccavi"' (George Eliot, The Mill on the
Floss, 1860). 'noun an admission or
confession of sin or error.

pecorino (pekareeno) ITALIAN [of
ewes, from pecora sheep] noun a
sharp-flavored hard Italian cheese
made from sheep's milk, mainly used
on pasta dishes.

pedophilia (peedafileea) GREEK [pai
child and philia loving] noun perverse sexual desire for children: "The old
man disappeared from the area after he
was accused of pedophilia."

peignoir (pa),nwahr, penwahr) FRENCH
[garment worn while combing the
hair, from peigner to comb] noun a
woman's loose dressing gown, bathrobe, or negligee.

peloton (elaton) FRENCH [from Latin
pila ball] noun the main pack or field
of riders in a bicycle race.

penchant (enchant) FRENCH [present participle of pencher to incline,
ultimately from Latin pendere to weigh]
noun a strong inclination or taste, a
liking or leaning for something: "They
were going from end to end of the country
in all manner of useful missionary capacities; their penchant for wandering, and
their experience in it, made them altogether
the most effective spreaders of civilization
we had" (MarkTwain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889).

pendulum (snd),oolam, ~enjoolam)
LATIN [hanging thing, from pendulus hanging, swinging] noun (plural
pendulums or pendula, ~end),oola,
~enjoola) a weight suspended in
such a way that it can swing freely
from side to side under the force of
gravity (as employed in clocks); can
also refer more generally to anything
that oscillates between opposites:
"Public opinion is the pendulum by which

political success is measured in a modern
democracy."

penetralia (penasleea) LATIN [inner-
most things, neuter plural of penetralis
inner] noun the innermost or most
private, hidden parts or recesses of
someone or something: "`Yea,' was the
concise reply of the Cameronian leader, in
a voice which seemed to issue from the very
penetralia of his person." (Walter Scott,
Waverley, 1814).

penne (ena),) ITALIAN [plural of
penna pen, quill] noun a variety of
pasta shaped into diagonally cut cylinders, or a dish incorporating such
pasta.

pensee (pons) FRENCH [thought]
noun a thought, idea.

pension (~enshan) FRENCH [ultimately
from Latin pendere to pay] noun a
boardinghouse or small hotel offering accommodation at a fixed rate
(in France or various other European
countries): "She sought seclusion from the
public gaze in a shabby pension in unfashionable central France."

pentathlon (pentathlan, pentathlahn)
GREEK [five contests, from penta five
and athlon contest] noun an athletic
event in which contests compete
in five different disciplines (crosscountr),, running, fencing, shooting,
horseback riding, and swimming).

per (per) LATIN [through, by] preposition through, by means of, for each,
during, according to, as instructed:
"Please carry out the tasks per the directions on the sheet provided."

per annum (per anam) LATIN [through
the year] adverb phrase annually,
yearly, every year, for each year, by
the year: "The enterprise brings in over
two million dollars per annum.."-abbreviated forms p.a., per an.

per ardua ad astra (per ahrdyooa ad
astra) LATIN [through difficulties to
the stars] noun phrase through difficulties to the stars (the motto of
Britain's Royal Air Force). See also AD
ASTRA PER ARDUA.

per capita (per kapita) LATIN [by heads]
adverb phrase for each person, by each
person, equally among individuals.
'adjective phrase for each person, by
each person: "The jury is considering
paying a per capita sum to all those who
are represented in the lawsuit."

percent (percent), per cent LATIN
[from per centum by hundred] adjective phrase in the hundred, for or
in every hundred: "She was awarded a
three percent salary increase." '" abbreviated form P.C.

per contra (per kontra) LATIN [by the
opposite side (of the ledger)] adverb
phrase on the contrary, by way of

contrast, on the other hand. ''abbreviated form per con.

per curiam (per kyooreeam) LATIN
[by a court] adjective phrase (in law)
denoting a decision correctly made
by a court, which therefore sets a
precedent.

per diem (per deeam, per dam) LATIN
[by the day] adverb phrase daily, each
day, by the day, day by day: `And having
finished burnishing his arms, he sate down
patiently to compute how much half a dollar
per diem would amount to at the end of a
six months' campaign..." (Walter Scott, A
Legend of Montrose, 1819). -noun phrase
(plural per diems) a daily payment, fee,
or allowance. 'abbreviated form p.d.

perdu (erdoo, gerdyoo), perdue
FRENCH [lost, past participle of perdre
to lose] adjective out of sight, concealed, hidden, undiscovered, unnoticed, secluded.

pere (pair) FRENCH [father] adjective
father, senior, older.

perestroika (perastroika) RUSSIAN
[restructuring, reconstruction] noun
the economic and bureaucratic reform
program that was introduced in the
Soviet Union in the 1980s; may also
refer to any economic or political
reorganization: "A policy of cultural
perestroika is needed to revitalize the arts
in modern eastern Europe."

pergola (ergala) ITALIAN [from Latin
pergula projecting roof, from pergere to
come forward] noun a trellis, arbor,
or other similar structure: "They found
the old man sitting in a rocking chair in
the pergola, a gun resting on his lap."

peri- (eree) GREEK [around or about]
prefix around or surrounding, e.g.,
perimenopause, perinatal.

per incuriam (per ooreeam) ' LATIN
[through lack of care] adjective phrase (in
law) denoting a decision made by a
court without due regard to the facts
or the law, which a subsequent court
finds to be mistaken, and which therefore does not set a precedent.

peripeteia (perapateea, peripataa),
peripetia GREEK [falling around,
from peripiptein to fall around, to
change suddenly] noun an abrupt
reversal of circumstances or change
of fortune.

periphrasis (parifrasas) GREEK [periphrazein to declare] noun (plural
periphrases, parifraseez) circumlocution, a roundabout means of
expression.

per mensem (per mensem) LATIN [by
the month] adverb phrase monthly,
each month, by the month, every
month.

perpetuum mobile (perpetyooam
mobili, perpetyooam mobilay) LATIN

[perpetually moving thing] noun phrase
perpetual motion or a machine that
runs by perpetual motion.

per pro See PER PROCURATIONEM.

per procurationem (per prokyoorateeonam) LATIN [by agency] adverb
phrase by proxy, on the authority of
a deputy or agent. '"abbreviated forms
per pro, p.p. Strictly speaking when
used in a letter the abbreviation p.p.
should precede the name of the person signing the letter. "In modern
usage the abbreviation is frequently
interpreted as `for and on behalf of'
and placed before the name of the
person on whose behalf the letter is
signed. This `incorrect' sequence is
so well-established that the correct
usage could lead to misunderstanding" (Bloomsbury Good Word Guide,
edited by Martin H. Manser).

per quod (per kwod) LATIN [by which]
adverb phrase (in law) whereby or
by reason of which, i.e., based on
external circumstances: "The statement
is not slander per se but slander per quad
its defamatory nature is not immediately
apparent, but depends on knowledge of
extrinsic facts."

per se (per sue, per see) LATIN [by
itself] adverb phrase in or by itself
or themselves, intrinsically, as such:
"Should computer hacking per se be outlawed as a crime?"

persiflage (ersiflahzh) FRENCH
[from perser to banter, from per
through and soer to whistle] noun
lighthearted, frivolous conversation;
banter, teasing.

persona (persona) LATIN [actor's
mask, character in a play] noun (plural personas or personae, personee,
person) an individual's character or
personality; a public or private guise or
role: "The great actor's last appearance was
in the persona of a mouse in an eminently
forgettable Broadway comedy."

persona grata (persona grahta, persona grata) LATIN [an acceptable
person] noun phrase (plural persona
grata or personae gratae, personee
grantee) an individual who is considered personally acceptable or admissible (usuall), relating to the status of
individuals in diplomatic relations).

persona non grata (persona non
grahta, persona non rata) LATIN [an
unacceptable person] noun phrase (plural persona non grata or personae
non gratae, personee non grantee)
an individual who is considered personally unacceptable or inadmissible
(often relating to the status of individuals in diplomatic relations): "The
authorities decreed that the journalist
was now persona non grata, and he made
preparations to leave the country."

personnel (persanel) FRENCH [staff,
from Latin personalis personal] plural

noun the employees or staff of an
organization or company: "The personnel of the organization will have to be
reduced by half if these financial targets
are to be met."

per stirpes (per sterpeez) LATIN [by
descendants, from per through and
stirps family, descendants] adverb phrase
by stocks or branches (legal term referring to the assignment of equal shares
among the inheritors of an estate).

pesto (peesto) ITALIAN [pounded,
from pestare to pound] noun (in Italian cuisine) a sauce made with fresh
crushed basil, garlic, pine nuts, grated
cheese, and olive oil.