136 | June• 2019
WORD POWER
1.je ne sais quoi– [A] special,
indefinable quality. Deepit’s
clothing wasn’t outright
unconventional, and often not
new, b ut it always had a certain
je ne sais quoi.
2.habitué– [B] person frequently
visiting a place. Anhabituéof the
bistro, Waubun headed for his
usual table.
3.billet-doux– [C] love letter.
Luiz’s first novel was abillet-doux
to his hometown.
4.laissez-faire– [A] non-
interference approach. Some
economists believe small
businesses benefit from
laissez-faireeconomics.
5.bric-a-brac– [B] collection of
ornaments. Among Matthew’s
aunt’sbric-a-bracwas a glass angel
that he coveted.
6.flâneur– [B] one who idly strolls
around and observes. Huiqing
spent most of the day as af lâneur
on the streets of Paris.
7.de rigueur– [C] required by
fashion or convention. A jean jacket
is simplyde rigueur this season for
all fashionistas.
8.esprit de l’escalier– [C] perfect
retort formulated too late. After
having endured heckling during
her comedy set the previous night,
Margot was struck byesprit de
l’escalierand delivered her witty
rejoinder to her cat.
9.sang-froid– [A] self-possession
under stress. The butler was used to
retaining hissang-froidduring his
employer’s crises.
10.à la carte– [A] ordered
separately from a menu. Not
hungry enough for any of the
restaurant’s set meals, Sophie
opted for the baked potato and
steamed spinachà la carte.
11.renaissance– [A] cultural
revival. With the influx of wealthy
tourists, the restaurant scene in
the small town was undergoing a
renaissance.
12.contre-jour– [C] against the
light. Yael positioned her sister
contre-jourto create a halo effect.
13.amour-propre– [B] self-wor t h.
Not being recognised on the street
by his high school classmate
wounded Farhad’samour propre.
14.éminence grise– [A] person
with no official title but great
influence. Everybody knew
the m ayor’s mother was an
éminence g rise in municipal
affairs.Answers
VOCABULARY RATINGS
7-10:Fair
11–12:Good
13–14: Word Power Wizard