savoir vivre

The court had “knowledge of the world” now: it had the fruits of achievement, civilization, savoir-vivre, gossip, fashion, malice, and the broad mind of scandal.

For Germans, asked for a spontaneous summary of the French, the words culture, fashion, luxury and savoir-vivre came to mind; the French, when thinking of the Germans, talked about beer, Berlin, cars, Nazis and war.

Savoir-vivre, sav-wor-vē′vr, n. good breeding: knowledge of polite usages.

The other end had carried out the rules with rigid savoir-vivre; had accidentally touched and trodden on; had apologised; had had its apologies accepted; had introduced and been introduced; and so had cleared the way to chocolates.

The city’s contradictory charms, as they are wryly termed, its fabled mix of savoir-vivre and absolute crumminess, remain in good supply.