Answer — Exercise 8

• plus ça change (French) = the more things change, the more they stay the same; a way of saying, in a resigned way, that nothing changes no matter what you do
• prima donna (Italian) = literally the first woman, so used to describe the lead female dancer or singer in an opera; often used to describe someone (male or female) who is egotistical and demanding
• fait accompli (French) = a situation or choice which has already been made (so you can’t change it – you have to accept it)
• a faux pas (French) = literally, a false step; an embarrassing mistake
• déjà vu (French) = literally, already seen; when you feel you have been somewhere or done something before
• zeitgeist (German) = spirit of the age; used to describe something that captures that spirit
• en route (French) = on the way (to)
• guerrilla (Spanish) = revolutionary fighter; a positive word to describe freedom fighters or revolutionaries
• chef (French) = cook; used to suggest a cook with status (i.e. in a good restaurant or hotel); people sometimes say ‘compliments to the chef’ to be polite when complimenting the person who has cooked, whether they are professional or not
• plaza (Spanish) = big square in a town
• angst (German) = feeling of worry about how to behave and what will happen
• macho (Spanish) = stereotypically masculine; often used negatively in English to describe overly- aggressive or ‘showy’ behaviour
• au fait (French) = knowledgeable about
• fiasco (Italian) = a disaster; used to describe a situation that has become chaotic
• kitsch (German) = popular but bad taste
• trek (Afrikaans*) = long walk or hike through difficult terrain

*Afrikaans is a derivation of Dutch and is spoken in South Africa.