Snob Words: Making Sense of Words You Wish You Knew, But Don't



Snob words are lexical aristocrats, highfalutin' words and phrases--often derived from foreign languages--that never appear on sixth-grade spelling tests. They're words you don't know, but feel you should know.

And because you don't know them, you often feel excluded.

For example, when Architectural Digest reveals that the actress of the moment has just installed an étagère in her pied-á-terre--and you're left racing to find a French dictionary app--you're a victim of snob words. Those fortunate enough to know the terms are in on the secret, while you're left standing behind the red velvet rope.

This blog is an attempt to demystify snob words, which show up frequently in publications that cater to well educated, upscale readers.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

crème de la crème (KREM΄-duh-law-KREM΄)

Click for pronunciation


     Crème de la crème (literally, “cream of the cream,” in French,) corresponds to the English term “cream of the crop.”

     If something is the crème de la crème, it is the very best of its kind—the elite.  It is the opposite of the bottom of the barrel.


     Our daughter, Sophia, was just accepted to Juilliard.  The dean told us she is the crème de la crème of all the piano candidates he has ever seen.

     In a 2010 Wall Street Journal article, writer Catherine Bolgar describes the management skills necessary for coaches of the NFL, where the average team loses fifty percent of the time:


     “That very difficulty means those who succeed are truly the crème de la crème to an extent rarely found elsewhere. Football managers, especially, throw into sharp relief lessons for successful management anywhere.”

Read article

All American football players dream of the NFL,
where the  crème de la crème  play the game.
© Vladacanon | Stock Free Images


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