faux pas
foh PAH
/ˌfəʊ ˈpɑː/
An embarrassing or tactless act or remark in a social situation.
A faux pas is usually accidental and results in embarrassment rather than moral outrage. It is a 'social slip-up.'
The story behind the word. Literally meaning 'false step' in French, the term was adopted into English in the 17th century to describe a social trip-up, as if one had physically stumbled in a dance.
Word relationships
- blunder: A blunder is a clumsy mistake; a faux pas is specifically a mistake in social manners.
- gaffe: A gaffe is an unintentional remark causing embarrassment, very similar to a faux pas.
- propriety: Propriety is doing exactly the right thing, while a faux pas is doing the wrong thing.
Commonly confused with
- impropriety: A faux pas is a social mistake; an impropriety is a failure to follow standards of honesty or modesty.
Word family
- faux pas (noun): The social blunder itself.
Collocations
- social faux pas
- commit a faux pas
- major faux pas
- minor faux pas
Example sentences
- "Arriving at the wedding in a white dress was a major faux pas that the bride never quite forgave." Social Event
- "He had committed a faux pas which he would never be allowed to forget in the drawing rooms of Paris." Literature
Memory hook
A 'faux pas' is a 'false pass' at being polite. A faux pas is a 'false step'.
When not to use
Do not use 'faux pas' for serious crimes or intentional insults; it implies a blunder of manners, not a malice of intent.
Fun facts
- The plural of faux pas is also spelled 'faux pas' but is pronounced 'foh PAHZ'.
Related words
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Also appears in
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