 #16 (permalink) Thu Jul 12, 2007 19:11 pm How often do you use the expression "au fait"? |
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| stew.t. wrote: |
| It may or may not be understood by an American, but I am sure some our cousins from over the pond would get it. |
"May not" is the better choice of words in this case. And "more than likely won't" would sound even more accurate to me. As far as "getting it", I seriously doubt that the vast majority of Americans would automatically understand "au fait" even with contextual help. As was mentioned in my earlier link, the most likely candidates for immediate comprehension would be those who had learned (and not forgotten) a good bit of French. I suppose if someone had regular contact with an "au fait user", the expression would also be learned and possibly also used in conversations with that particular "au fait user". (Oh dear, this starting to sound like a drug habit or something.) 
If you used the phrase "au fait" in a sentence in the US, you'd be more likely to hear a question such as "What the heck does oh, fay mean?" or "Did you say OK"? than to get any actual instant comprehension of the phrase. There might well also be some who would recognize the phrase as being French, but still wouldn't know what it means. It's simply not an expression that is commonly used in the US. |
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Yankee
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Joined: 16 Apr 2006
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