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Contretemps vs Gaffe - What's the difference?

contretemps | gaffe |

As nouns the difference between contretemps and gaffe

is that contretemps is an unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event; a hitch while gaffe is coffee.

contretemps

English

Noun

(contretemps)
  • An unforeseen, inopportune, or embarrassing event; a hitch
  • (fencing) An ill-timed pass.
  • Quotations

    * 1896 - *: "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 - , 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 - " 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

    * (unforeseen or embarrassing event) hitch, mishap

    gaffe

    English

    Alternative forms

    * gaff

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A foolish and embarrassing error, especially one made in public.
  • Synonyms

    * blooper, blunder, boo-boo, bozo eruption, defect, error, fault, faux pas, fluff, lapse, mistake, slip, stumble, thinko * See also

    See also

    * malapropism * Freudian slip * Bushism ----