Pretentious Phrases instead of Plain English words -Piece de resistance

[igr61]

Just thought I would get this one of my chest.
Irritating People that use pretentious foreign words Phrases instead of basic plain English-
"Piece de resistance " instead of saying Masterpiece or the best available.
and that other one usually said by TV presenters and journalists:
"Raison detre " instead of reason for existing

"Quelle surprise"

Fuck off.

I quite like both of those. And I also use milieu and ennui...

Juxtaposed
Eclectic

Pretentious foppery supreme

hmm. I don’t really see these as pretentious. Don’t most people say them just for fun?

Ok, maybe not juxtaposed or eclectic. What’s pretentious about eclectic?

Um - aren’t juxtaposed and eclectic just fairly regular words?

I agree that some expressions do sound pretentious but there’s nothing wrong with having a good vocabulary.

It has more punch to use the foreign saying sometimes. It makes people think of other times the phrase has been used and adds something to what you’re trying to get across. I love language and I like it to be rich and interesting. I would hate for people to dull down what they’re saying in case some random thinks they’re being pretentious. Must everything really be so dull?

I don’t want to use the plainest language all the time - I enjoy the variety of words and phrases that are available to me, both in English and - gasp - in foreign languages - and get pleasure from using them. I will use language that is appropriate, but I will continue to use the full richness of language available.

I don’t think this makes me pretentious - I think it makes me someone who enjoys language.

I also note that it is just nasty foreign phrases that @igr61 dislikes and finds pretentious - but pretentious words in English - like pretentious - are just fine.

none of these so far seem pretentious.

Pretentious? Moi?

I'm thinking about when there was a request for mn to create an "ama" secton. I sure wish they'd create a "I hate it when other people use this/these words or phrases" or "aibu to think it's common to say...", etc., it really irritates me when someone is critical of how another person uses language but there must be others who agree. Why can't they have their own back corner of mn?

I disagree, it's not pretentious. Sometimes only a foreign phrase will do because it's en pointe in a way that an English phrase isn't.

Raison d'etre for example, isn't really reason for existing, it's more far more passionate than that. It implies drive, focus, love, obsession. In English " Painting wild animals was his reason for existing." doesn't convey anything like the meaning implied by "Painting wild animals was his raison d'etre.

Similarly, 'piece de resistance. is far more theatrical than 'masterpiece', eg her crepes suzettes were the piece de resistance of the whole meal.

'Faux pas' too. A real 'faux pas' is usually a mortifying, hugely embarrassing social gaffe (French again). A 'mistake' is generic and carries no emotion.

Inverted snobbery.

Gosh isn’t it irritating when educated people use apposite words and phrases correctly, rather than a dumbed down selection of vocabulary Atrocious.

Sacred blue.

What Twitter queen said

What twitterqueen and others have said.

I only find words/ phrases pretentious when they are used as a smug method of impressing an audience, and/ or out of context for the same purpose. In essence when used pretentiously.

Is the the Brexit new world order we have to look forward to? None of those foreign phrases thank you, we will only allow the most basic, plain, joyless language. Purely the quotidian. Oh oops.......

Piece de resistance is often used ironically. The straight translation doesn't convey the same nuanced meaning. I agree this sounds like inverted snobbery.

YABU OP, foreign phrases have a certain je ne sais quoi...

Seriously, many or even most of the words that you think of as English originated from other languages (Latin, German, French and so on).

I stand with TwitterQueen !

Some phrases carry way more meaning than the English translation, especially the two the OP has chosen. All adds to the richness of language and the power of good communication.

Not half as annoying as when people insist on pronouncing words a la forrin, rather than using the English pronunciation that has become commonplace. Trait would be a good example - yes, it comes from the French, but it makes me wince when people talk about character trays. Likewise Clarahngs rather than Clarinz (Clarins, in case I'm not being clear, and yes I do know someone who does this). Worst of all when DH refers to Empire furniture and not only goes for the French pronunciation, but gets it slightly wrong, adding in an extra syllable so it comes out "Ompierre".

I’m trying to imagine how insecure I would have to be to translate ordinary borrowings from other languages into the plainest possible English in case some Little Englander thought I was pretentious.

Surely they’re just phrases that are used as there isn’t a true English translation. If someone said ‘This is what the French would call the ‘piece de resistance’’ I might think they were a bit of a tit. But if they just said ‘this is the piece de resistance’ then it would just be someone talking in a completely normal way.

OP - I hope you’ve never used the words bungalow, youghurt, lemon, safari, mosquito, bangle, jungle, pyjamas...The list goes on...and on...and on...

In fact, could you provide us with a list of what you mean by “plain English” words? And by English, what do you actually mean? The language spoken by the Angles, the Saxons, the Normans, the Danes, the Romans, the Celts...?

Btw, the word “masterpiece” originates from Dutch/German, so you need a new plain English word there, I’m afraid.