was wotd|2008|January|2
English
Etymology
F.
Pronunciation
a|RP IPA|/k�n.tɹ�.t���/
a|US IPA|/k��n.tɹ�.t��/
audio|en-us-contretemps.ogg|Audio (US)
Noun
en-noun|contretemps
- An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event; a hitch
- rfv-sense An awkward clash
- fencing An ill-timed pass.
Quotations
1896 - w:Bret Harte|Bret Harte, s:Barker's Luck and Other Stories/The Indiscretion of Elsbeth|The Indiscretion of Elsbeth
:"I see that you are a born American citizen--and an earlier knowledge of that fact would have prevented this little contretemps. You are aware, Mr. Hoffman, that your name is German?"
1934 - w:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs, s:Pirates of Venus|Pirates of Venus, chapter 12
:What a strange contretemps! Its suddenness left me temporarily speechless; the embarrassment of Duare was only too obvious. Yet it was that unusual paradox, a happy contretemps--for me at least.
1960 - "Emily Post Is Dead Here at 86; Writer was Arbiter of Etiquette", New York Times, September 27
:Mrs. Post was the center of a notable contretemps when she spilled a spoonful of berries at a dinner of the Gourmet Society here in 1938.
2004 - Sunday Oregonian, June 13
:It won't rank with the doping scandals in track and field and baseball's steroid controversy but the Rose Cup race had its own little contretemps last year.
Synonyms
sense|unforeseen or embarrassing event hitch, mishap
Translations
trans-top|an unforeseen or embarrassing event
trans-mid
Spanish: t-|es|contratiempo|m
Swedish: t-|sv|motighet|c, oförmodat hinder
trans-bottom
trans-top|(fencing) ill-timed pass
trans-mid
trans-bottom
fr:contretemps
io:contretemps
ru:contretemps
vi:contretemps
zh:contretemps
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