savoir-faire en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌsævwɑːˈfɛə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌsævwɑɹˈfɛɹ/ (US)
Etymology
Borrowed from French savoir-faire (“know-how”), from savoir (“to know (how)”) + faire (“to do”).
Meanings
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(uncountable) The ability to do or say what is appropriate for the occasion.
Dr. Brighton-Pomfrey had the savoir-faire of a successful consultant; he prided himself on being all things to all men; but just for an instant he was at a loss what sort of thing he had to be here.
1917, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter IX, in The Soul of a Bishop:I am also deeply thankful to my editor Judy Knipe, whose savoir-faire and perfectionism gave the book its final polish and shape.
1983, Anne Volokh, “Acknowledgments”, in The Art of Russian Cuisine, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan Publishing Company, →ISBN, copyright page: