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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > GAUCHE & GAUCHERIE

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pronounce these words:

For "gauche," say "GHOSH." Hear it.
 
For "gaucherie," say "GO shuh REE." Hear it.

connect these words to others:

While we're talking about cringey, embarrassing, socially inept things—or gaucheries—see if you can recall a word that means "secondhand embarrassment: cringing at the socially inept things that other people are doing." It's fr____sch__.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definitions:

In French, gauchir means "to warp, to deform, to swerve, to twist out of shape"—and, somewhat insultingly, "to make left-handed." It's one of those words that shows society's nasty tendency to stereotype left-handed people as clumsy, stupid, or awkward.

We took the adjective form, gauche, into English in the 1700s as a particularly snooty synonym of "awkward, clumsy, tactless, especially socially," and that's still how we use the word today. In other words, gauche things and people are socially awkward or cringey.

And gaucherie is behavior that's socially awkward or cringey.

grammatical bits:

Parts of speech:

"Gauche" is the adjective: "I cringe when I think of that gauche thing I said."

"Gaucherie" is the noun. It can be the countable ("I cringe when I reflect on my gaucheries") or uncountable ("I cringe when I reflect on my gaucherie").

Other forms: 

You could say that one thing or person is "gaucher" than another.

how to use them:

You might choose to avoid them if you don't like their historical association with hate for left-handed people. But for most speakers today, these words convey cringey awkwardness, not hateful stereotypes. I don't mind using them.

Pick the formal, fancy, semi-common word "gauche" when you want to label some person, comment, or action as profoundly cringey. We talk about gauche people and the gauche things they say, ask, and do. "They've never spoken a word to me before, but they invited me to their baby shower? By email? How gauche." "They included a link to their gift registry? Even gaucher."

The noun, "gaucherie," is fancier and rarer. Call something gaucherie (or a gaucherie) when it makes you cringe. "Asking strangers for gifts is a gaucherie I hope they outgrow."

examples:

"It's considered gauche to expose the private life of a well-known figure when that information isn't in the public interest."
 — Nico Lang, Salon, 29 March 2016

"Although I’ve tried to defy it, my mother's commandment about the gaucherie of wearing white after Labor Day haunts me."
— Aimee Lee Ball, New York Times, 5 September 2015

has this page helped you understand "gauche" and "gaucherie"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about these words, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study them:

Explain the meanings of "gauche" and "gaucherie" without saying "awkward" or "awkwardness."

try one out:

Fill in the blank: "I've done the world's most gauche thing: I (broke the unwritten rules of society somehow)."

Example 1: "I repeatedly do the world's most gauche thing: duck behind the nearest large object when I see someone I know but I can't remember their name."

Example 2: "But look! I've done the world's most gauche American thing on the planet! I've brought coffee – to high tea!"
 — Jon Hamm, as quoted by Polly Vernon, The Guardian, 19 September 2010




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Stop, Drop, & Anagram!"

I’ll give you an 8-letter word, along with a quote with a blank in it. Your job is to drop a letter from the word, then reassemble it into the 7-letter word that fits meaningfully into the blank. You'll find the answer at the bottom of the issue. Enjoy!

Try this last one today:

TACKIEST.

"Don't you remember what it said on the Golden _______? Every child goes home with a lifetime's supply of sweets. There's one truckload for each of them, loaded to the brim."
— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 1964

review these words:

1. A near opposite of GAUCHERIE is

A. DERRING-DO: daring actions or reckless courage.
B. CHOP-LOGIC: arguing with bad reasoning or a focus on unimportant differences.
C. SAVOIR-FAIRE: the ability to say and do the right thing at the right time in social situations.

2. Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory fits the stereotype of the gauche genius: despite his self-proclaimed working knowledge of the entire universe and everything in it, he sees no problem with _____.

A. microwaving a metal object
B. stealing equipment from his university
C. insulting a friend while she's doing him a favor




Answers to the review questions:
1. C
2. C

Answer to the game question: TACKIEST becomes TICKETS:

"Don't you remember what it said on the Golden Tickets? Every child goes home with a lifetime's supply of sweets. There's one truckload for each of them, loaded to the brim."
— Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 1964


a final word:


I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.


From my blog:
On vocabulary...
      36 ways to study words.
      Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
      How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
      How to improve any sentence.
      How to motivate our kids to write.
      How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
      How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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