faux pas
foh PAH
/ˌfoʊ ˈpɑː/
An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.
A specific, identifiable blunder or slip-up in etiquette, rather than a general state of being awkward.
The story behind the word. Imported directly from French in the late 17th century, faux pas literally translates to 'false step.' In the court of King Louis XIV, where dancing and physical posture were deeply tied to social status, a literal stumble on the ballroom floor was a social disaster. The phrase quickly became a metaphor for any slip-up in manners.
Word relationships
- blunder: A blunder is a careless or stupid mistake in any context, whereas a faux pas is specifically a social mistake that violates etiquette.
- propriety: Propriety is the state of conforming to correct social standards, while a faux pas is a direct violation of them.
Commonly confused with
- fox pass: This is a common misspelling/mishearing of the French phrase 'faux pas'.
Collocations
- commit a faux pas
- social faux pas
- major faux pas
Example sentences
- "Spilling red wine on the host's white tablecloth was a major faux pas." A common social slip-up
Memory hook
'Faux' means fake or false, and 'pas' sounds like 'pass' or 'step'. A false step in public. A false step is a faux pas.
When not to use
Do not use for serious moral crimes or illegal acts; it is strictly for social blunders.
Fun facts
- The plural of faux pas is spelled exactly the same way (faux pas) but is pronounced with a 'z' sound at the end: /foʊ ˈpɑːz/.
Also appears in
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