Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A to Z Challenge 2013: B - Bourgeois


Bourgeois

bour·geois [boor-zhwä] n. pl. - a member of the middle class, esp one regarded as being conservative and materialistic or (in Marxist theory) a capitalist exploiting the working class. adj. - of, relating to, or typical of the middle class.

Synonyms: there are no synonyms for such a specific word, but some related terms are: businessperson, capitalist, burgher.

Etymology: 1560s, "of the French middle class," from French bourgeois, from Old French burgeis, borjois "town dweller" (see bourgeoisie). Sense of "socially or aesthetically conventional" is from 1764; in communist and socialist writing, as a noun, "a capitalist" (1883).

40 comments:

A Daft Scots Lass said...

Booteefool

Chantel said...

I think I may pop in each morning and make a mental note to use your "word of the day" in casual conversation. (this could get interesting, I dare say)

I unintentionally did yesterday....which should tell you what kind of day it was.

Steve MC said...

Burgermeister Meisterburger!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Steve said exactly what I was thinking!

Sally said...

It's a lovely sounding word.

Nick Wilford said...

Thank you, noble burgher of the blog parish!

Dani said...

Oh my gosh... in high school I wanted to use this word in a writing piece and had no idea how to spell it. My teachers or parents wouldn't tell me. It took FOREVER to figure it out... cause, you know, the internet wasn't that big back then.
Thanks for the horrible flashback! lmao

Old Kitty said...

French words are so sexy!! Take care
x

Louise said...

This word always makes me think of Agatha Christie's Poirot - "Monsieur, it may be bourgeois to disapprove of murder, but alas, I am very bourgeois myself." And variations on that theme through many of the later books featuring him.

L said...

Did you choose your words randomly or did you pick the nice sounding ones?

Unknown said...

I'm going to use this word today and see if anyone knows what I'm talking about.

Summer Ross said...

I agree with old kitty- French words are sexy. :)

Donna K. Weaver said...

I love that word, more because it's so dang fun to say.

cleemckenzie said...

Call me Capitalist.

Unknown said...

Hi Matthew, Great way to go through A to Z and I am looking forward to see the rest of this vocabulary lesson. The connotation of the related words without the accompanying context elicit quite a different sense in me. Thanks for getting me thinking. God bless, Maria from Delight Directed Living

Tina said...

I love Louise's quote. Always thought this was a good word, but people misuse it all the time. Stuff like that pisses of word-nerds, like me...


Tina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

Margo Berendsen said...

I love discovering obscure words and their etymologies! I simply must use asinine in my current book - not sure I can work in bourgeois though.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I have friends that use the word "bourdeois" to describe things that are middle class. It makes them sound sophisticated.

Bevimus said...

Another descriptor that deserves a comeback.

Unknown said...

Hah! Another great new word to add to my list today. I have no idea how I'd ever use it!

A to Z: http://www.deborahdera.com

Claire Hennessy said...

Daarrrhhhling, as one is descended from the French aristocracy, one is often thinking the peasants are just toooo bourgeois!

Nancy Thompson said...

That's so interesting. I always thought it referred to the upper class. I learned something new again!

Mark Means said...

A very elegant sounding word. I'll be by each day as this is better than those 'Word A Day' calendars :)

Unknown said...

in Romanian it's the same: he have just partial synonyms, mostly explanations.

Jay Noel said...

Reminds me of the Roman equestrian order, the group of people on the bottom end of the patricians.

Although when I hear "equestrian," I think of those horse riders jumping over fences.

Rick Daley said...

That's one of those words where I generally knew what it meant, but it's cool to read the full definition. Good choice.

Unknown said...

I so loved this word when I loved to pronounce it. Now, not so much. ;)

Damyanti @Daily(w)rite
Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2013

Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

Unknown said...

Bourgeois is a common Cajun name.

Anonymous said...

I think I'll second what Clair Hennessy said and continue laughing about it. Well put, Clair! A great 'B' day word!

Anonymous said...

Whoops! put an 'e' on the end of Claire for me - such a bourgeois mistake! Apologies, my lady! *as Nina takes a knee*

Anonymous said...

LOL How is this for a synonym for borgois? American senators, congressmen, and the president. >:)

Unknown said...

Great words to share for the A-Z challenge. I'm trying to think of a way to use the word Bourgeois in normal conversation. Sadly, asinine is a lot easier to use!

Krista McLaughlin said...

Otherwise known as bigheaded bossy guys who take advantage of the little guys. :)

Andrew Leon said...

What I love is how people use that word without meaning that it's supposed to be insulting.

I do love that sound of it, though.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Heard this word a lot in history class. Especially when talking about France and the 'French Caribbean.' Good choice today.

VR Barkowski said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
VR Barkowski said...

Let me try this post again...

Bourgeois is a word that plays to my sociologist soul. I spent many a day with Karl and his largely ignored pal, Freddie Engels.

I could be near-bourgeois if I gave up writing and went back to teaching Marx. There's irony for you.

~VR Barkowski

Unknown said...

Reminds me of my politics lectures...I never did like politics...but good post, and well done.

Donna Shields said...

I used to think this was like an upper class snot, but I was wrong!

Lyre said...

Another fantastic word. I might be with Chantal and try to work in your word as my word of the day... depending on where you take us. :-)