The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (69 page)

soiree (swahr4), soiree FRENCH
[evening period, ultimately from Latin
serus late] noun a party or other social
gathering held in the evening: My aunt
is holding a little soiree on Thursday evening and I promised I would go."

solarium (solareeam, Salaireeam) LATIN
[sun porch] noun (plural solariums or
solaria, solareea, salaireea) a glassenclosed porch or other room; may
also refer to a room where guests or
patients may be exposed to real or
artificial sunlight.

solfege (solfezh) FRENCH [from Italian solfeggio] noun (in music) a vocal

exercise using the sol-fa syllables,
such as do, re, and mi.

solfeggio (solfjeeo) ITALIAN [from
solfeggiare to use sol-fa] noun (plural
solfeggios or solfeggi, solfjee) another term for SCLFEGE.

solitaire (solitair, solitair) FRENCH
[from Latin solitarius solitary, alone]
noun a card or board game played
by a single player; may also refer to a
ring or other piece of jewelry set with
a single diamond, or to a person who
lives a solitary life: "He selected a magnfcent solitaire for his wife and a gold
watch for his daughter."

sombrero (sombrairo) SPANISH [from
sombra shade] noun a wide-brimmed
hat traditionally worn in Mexico and
other parts of Central America: "The
field workers all wore huge straw sombreros
to protect them from the blazing heat."

sommelier (samely ) FRENCH [pack
animal driver, ultimately from Latin
sagma packsaddle] noun a wine
waiter.

sonata (sanahta) ITALIAN [that which
is sounded, from sonare to sound]
noun an instrumental musical composition for one or two instruments,
usually comprising three or four contrasting movements; a musical form
that comprises the statement, development, and recapitulation of two or
more themes.

sonatina (sondteena) ITALIAN [diminutive of sonata that which is sounded,
from sonare to sound] noun (plural sonatinas or sonatine, sonateenee) a
small-scale or simplified sonata.

son et Iumiere (son ay loomk)
FRENCH [sound and light] noun an
open-air theatrical entertainment
comprising a recorded narration with
accompanying light and sound effects,
usually presented in a historical building or site: "The history of the town was
told in a spectacular son et Iumiere staged
below the castle walls."

sophomore (sofamor, sofmor) GREEK
[possibly from sophos wise and morns
foolish] noun a second-year student
at a university, college, or secondary school: "I feel as f I didn't belong
anywhere yet. I put in my Freshman and
Sophomore years at Redmond two years
ago" (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne
of the Island, 1915).

soprano (sarano, sfllrhno) ITALIAN
[from sopra above] noun (plural sopranos or soprani, sapanee,
s5pahnee) the highest singing voice in a choir,
belonging to boys, women, and castratos; may also refer to a musical instrument with a high range.
-adjective of or relating to a soprano
or a soprano part: "Despite his unpromising appearance the boy was revealed to
have a superb soprano voice."

sorbet (sorly, sorbit) FRENCH [ultimately from Turkish sorbet sherbet]
noun a fruit-flavored ice (variously
served as a dessert or between courses
to clear the palate): "The children finished the meal with lemon sorbets and
another round of milkshakes." See also
SHERBET.

sordino (sordeeno) ITALIAN [from
sordo silent, ultimately from Latin surdus deaf, mute] noun (plural sordini,
sordeenee) a mute used to change
the sound of a musical instrument.

sortie (sortee, sortee) FRENCH [going
out, from sortir to escape] noun a
small-scale raid, sally, or foray launched
against an enemy (especially one
mounted from a defensive position);
may also refer more generally to any
outing or exploratory trip: "However,
on his second sortie, on the 27th of November, Gideon Spilett, who had ventured a
quarter of a mile into the woods, toward
the south of the mountain, remarked that
Top scented something" (Jules Verne,
The Mysterious Island, 1874). - verb to
launch an attack upon an enemy.

sostenuto (sost riooto) ITALIAN [past
participle of sostenere to sustain] adverb
(in music) sustained, prolonged.
-adjective sustained, prolonged.
'"noun (plural sostenutos or sostenuti, sostanootee) a passage of music
in which the notes are sustained or
prolonged.

sotto voce (soto vochee) ITALIAN [from
sottovoce under voice] adverb phrase
under the breath, in an undertone,
very softly. adjective phrase under
the breath, in a low voice, silent: "The
attorney made one or two sotto voce observations to his assistant and then stood to
address the court."

sou (soo) FRENCH [ultimately from
Latin solidus solid] noun a fivecentime piece, or more figuratively a
tiny sum of money: I wouldn't give you
a sou for that old car of yours."

soubrette (soobret) FRENCH [from
Provencal soubreto conceited, from
soubret coy] noun a coquettish young
woman or lady's maid (usually referring to such a character in a stage
comedy or comic opera): "Susan
appeared after breakfast in the study, her
head bound with a kerchief of bright pattern ... so that she suggested something
between a gypsy, a jaunty soubrette, and
the fille du regiment" (Oliver Wendell
Holmes, The Guardian Angel, 1867).

soubriquet See SOBRIQUET.

souchong (SUUChong) CHINESE [small
kind] noun a fine type of black China
tea with large leaves: "The ladies meet
every Tuesday afternoon to sip souchong
from china cups."

souffle (soof, sooflay) FRENCH [past
participle of soufj-ler to blow, to puff

up] noun (in French cuisine) a sweet
or savory dish including egg yolks
and beaten egg whites among the
ingredients that is baked until it puffs
up. adjective of or relating to such
a dish.

souk (sunk), suq ARABIC [from suls]
noun an open-air market or bazaar
in North Africa or the Middle East:
"I bought a fabulous carpet in the souls in
Casablanca."

soupcon (soopson , sooppson(g))
FRENCH [suspicion] noun a trace,
a bit, a tiny amount: "He accepted her
version of events, but later admitted to
harboring a soupcon of doubt."

sous (soo) FRENCH [under, from
Latin subtus below, under] adjective assistant, subordinate, deputy:
"Preparation of the meal became the responsibility of the sous-chef. "

souvenir (soovaneear, soovaneear)
FRENCH [to remember, ultimately
from Latin subvenire to come to mind]
noun a memento, reminder, keepsake: "The box was stuffed with postcards,
photographs, letters, and various souvenirs
of childhood holidays."

soviet (soviet, soviet) RUSSIAN [from
sovet council] noun an elected legislative council in a communist country
(usually referring to the former Soviet
Union); also used more generally to refer to the government and people
of the former Soviet Union. adjective
of or relating to a soviet system, or to
the Soviet Union itself.

sovkhoz (sovkoz, sovkos), sovkhos
RUSSIAN [from sovetskoe khozyaistvo
soviet farm] noun (plural sovkhozes
or sovkhozy, sovkozee, sovkosee)
a state-owned farm in the former
Soviet Union (specifically one in which
the workers were paid wages).

S.P, s.p. See SINE PROLE.

spaghetti (spagetee) ITALIAN [plural of spaghetto, itself from spago cord,
string, ultimately from Latin spacus]
noun a variety of pasta made in long
slender strings and thus, by extension, a dish of such pasta (variously
cooked with meats, sauces, and other
ingredients).

spatlese (stla)za) GERMAN [late
harvest] noun (plural spatleses or spatlesen, shpavtlayzan) a sweet white
wine produced in Germany from
grapes picked late in the season.

specialite de la maison (spesyalitay da
la mayzon ), specialite de la maison FRENCH [specialty of the house]
noun phrase the house specialty, a dish
presented as the best that a particular
restaurant has to offer; may also refer
more generally to any unusual or distinctive thing, quality, or skill: "Highly
illustrated wildlife books are the specialite

de la maison." ' abbreviated form specialite.

specie (seeshee, eesee) s LATIN [from
in specie in kind] noun cash, money
in the form of coin: "She was glad to
own the bracelet, and enchanted with the
effect it produced on her slim wrist; yet,
even while admiring it, and rejoicing that
it was hers, she had already transmuted it
into specie, and reckoned just how far it
would go toward the paying of domestic
necessities" (Edith Wharton, Glimpses of
the Moon, 1922).

specter (Vektar) FRENCH [ghost,
from spectrum appearance] noun a
ghost, an apparition; may also refer to
anything of an illusory or imaginary
nature.

spectrum (s ktram) LATIN [appearance] noun (plural spectrums or spectra, Vektra) the band of colors
into which light splits when passed
through a prism; may also refer to any
range or sequence of things, ideas, or
interests.

speculum (spkk),alam) LATIN [mirror,
from specere to look at] noun (plural
speculums or specula, sk)-ala) a
mirror, reflector, or other medical
instrument used to inspect bodily
orifices or canals.

sphinx (sfinks) GREEK [after the Sphinx
winged monster of Greek mythology,
probably from sphiggein to draw tight] noun (plural sphinxes or sphinges,
sfinjeez) a winged female monster
with a woman's head and a lion's body
that was reputed to kill anyone who
could not answer the riddle it posed;
by extension, may also refer to any
puzzling or enigmatic object or person: "Misery and death, this was certain;
beyond that we knew not, and I confess I
was very much afraid. But as I realized
then, it is useless to question that eternal
Sphinx, the future" (H. Rider Haggard,
Allan Quatermain, 1887).

spiel (speel, shpeel) GERMAN [from
spielen to play] noun chatter, talk
(especially the patter or glib persuasiveness of a salesperson, fraudster, or
con artist): "The old man sighed deeply and
abruptly told the salesman to cut the spiel
and tell him the price." -verb to talk persuasively, to deceive through glib talk.

spiritoso (spirhtoso) ITALIAN [spirited] noun (in music) animated,
lively.

spirituel (spirichawel, spireetwel),
spirituelle FRENCH [spiritual] adjective refined, witty, sprightly, ethereal.

sportif (sportif) FRENCH [sporting]
adjective sporty, sports-loving,
designed for or suitable for sports
or casual wear.

S.PQ.R. See SENATUS POPULUSQUE
ROMAN US.

sprachgefuhl (shprakgefuul) GERMAN [language feeling] noun an
intuitive feel for idiomatic appropriateness in a language.

Sprechgesang (shprekgezan(g)) GERMAN [speech song] noun (in music)
a style of vocal delivery halfway
between speech and song.

springbok (springbok) AFRIKAANS
[leaping goat] noun a small gazelle
of southern Africa, which leaps high
in the air when disturbed; also a nickname for a sportsperson representing
South Africa in international competitions, especially a member of the South
African rugby union team: "The Springboks are playing the Kiwis on Saturday."

spritzer (Spritz3r) GERMAN [from
spritzen to splash] noun an alcoholic
drink comprising white wine and soda
water.

spritzig (Writzig) GERMAN [from
spritzen to splash] adjective sparkling
(referring to wine).

spumante (spoomantee) ITALIAN
[sparkling, abbreviated from Asti
spumante] noun a sparkling white
wine made in the Italian province
of Asti.

sputnik (Vuutnik, sputnik) RUSSIAN
[traveling companion] noun an artificial satellite (as applied to early Soviet spacecraft): "With the launch of
the first sputniks, the space race was on."

Sputum (spyootim, Spootam) LATIN
[neuter past participle of spuere to spit]
noun (plural sputa, spyooti, Spoota)
spittle, saliva, mucus, and other excretions from the respiratory passages.

Sr. See SENOR.

Sra. See SENORA.

Srita., SRTA, Srta. See SENORITA.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa (stahbatmahtar
dolirosi) LATIN [the grieving mother
was standing] noun phrase the opening words of a hymn on the subject
of the Virgin Mary at Christ's cross;
may also refer to a musical setting of
this hymn. -abbreviated form Stabat
Mater.

staccato (stakahto) ITALIAN [detached,
past participle of staccare to detach]
adjective disconnected, disjointed,
abrupt, jerky: "A series of staccato taps
on the west window brought Anne flying
in from the yard, eyes shining, cheeks
faintly flushed with pink, unbraided hair
streaming behind her in a torrent of
brightness." (Luc), Maud Montgomery,
Anne of Green Gables, 1908). "adverb
in a disconnected, disjointed manner. noun a passage of music written to be played in a disconnected,
disjointed manner. ' abbreviated forms
stac., stacc.

stalag (stalag) GERMAN [abbreviated
from Stammlager base camp] noun a
prison camp (usually referring to such
a camp for captured enemy soldiers in
Nazi Germany).

stanza (stanza) ITALIAN [abode,
room] noun a verse of other group
of lines from within a longer poem:
"All but the first few opening stanzas of
this epic work were lost in afire a century
later."

stasis (s sas, stasis) GREEK [histasthai to stand] noun (plural stases,
s seez, staseez) a static state, a
condition of equilibrium or stagnation: "Events may soon hand young George
a victory that eluded old George. But other,
more profound things have altered. First,
the belief in a new world order that saw an
international coalition of forces voyage to
the Gulf and a United Nations freed from
cold war stasis, sanction action" (Guardian, February 20, 2001).

status (stas, statas) LATIN [standing,
rank, from stare to stand] noun a
state or condition of someone or
something; can also refer to the standing or rank of a person within a community or before the law, or more
generally to a state of affairs: "The
lieutenant delivered his status report as
soon as he reached the base."