Parvenu (noun)
pah-ven-oo
(derogatory) A person of humble origin who has gained wealth, influence, or celebrity.
Early 19th century from French, literally ‘arrived’, past participle of parvenir, from Latin pervenire ‘come to, reach’.
Example sentences
“She’ll never be one of us, she doesn’t belong here and is nothing but a parvenu.”
Wonky (adj) won-kee Not straight or balanced, off kilter. First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol. (more…)
