Correct use of French phrases reportedly de rigueur in some circles
Continuing in the French vein, I would like to note that the French borrowing de rigueur--which, rather surprisingly, I am asked about almost weekly--means "required by the current fashion or custom; compulsory." The use of italics to designate foreign phrases that are not fully naturalized, for example, could be said to be de rigueur in English texts. And it is certainly de rigueur to pronounce the word properly--as rhyming, roughly, with "furry cur"--and not to leave out the first u when spelling it.
But that's not quite all there is to say about de rigueur. Though it is, at times, a satisfying phrase to use, the reader will be wise to remember that large amounts of even a good thing are not always desirable. I would therefore like to caution against peppering one's speech too heavily with it; aside from the fact that some folks won't be familiar with the phrase, others will find it pretentious. I suggest, therefore, limiting your use of the phrase to conversations with approving friends, logophilic bosses, and anyone else you deem likely to be impressed with your verbal virtuosity.
But that's not quite all there is to say about de rigueur. Though it is, at times, a satisfying phrase to use, the reader will be wise to remember that large amounts of even a good thing are not always desirable. I would therefore like to caution against peppering one's speech too heavily with it; aside from the fact that some folks won't be familiar with the phrase, others will find it pretentious. I suggest, therefore, limiting your use of the phrase to conversations with approving friends, logophilic bosses, and anyone else you deem likely to be impressed with your verbal virtuosity.
posted by Thomas McAllister at 3:57 PM
1 Comments:
Thank you for your discussion of de rigueur. It's a useful phrase in many situations. As a writer of fiction, I don't use it much, but when I do other kinds of writing (and when I speak), I favor it.
By the way, your usage guidelines have been helpful to me in my writing--I'm always looking for ways to improve my prose, and I appreciate your advice. Keep it up!
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