je ne sais quoi
I hate the expression "je ne sais quoi". It's French for "I don't know". For God's sake, if you don't know, just admit you don't know. In any language, ignorance is still ignorance, and obfuscating your ignorance by talking French just makes you arrogant.
(Barticus, Sat 10 Apr 2010, 8:12, 9 replies)

eh?
Does anybody use it to mean "i don't know"?

In english it's used to mean a certain undefinable something, or something that you can't put your finger on.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Sat 10 Apr 2010, 8:35, closed)

^ this.
I think someone just showed their ignorance...
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Sat 10 Apr 2010, 8:46, closed)

Exactly
Just what I was going to say.

It's one of many foreign phrases that has come into common usage in English. Like doppleganger and de ja vous.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 10 Apr 2010, 17:21, closed)

Je ne sais pas = I don't know.
Je ne sais quoi = I don't know what.

Using the first in an ordinary English conversation would be a pretention. Using the second would be perfectly acceptable.
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Sat 10 Apr 2010, 8:48, closed)

^^^^^^^^
quite correct there CB.
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Sat 10 Apr 2010, 14:24, closed)

Kylie...
..used it to great effect in the early 90s. I'm sure it means 'i don't know why' or in Oz 'I'm fucked if I know why'
i.e 'I like B3ta / blamanche (the pudding and the band) / being pee-ed on in the shower' ...je ne sais quoi
(Moominator missing the good stuff cos' the swear filter is on, Sat 10 Apr 2010, 8:53, closed)

That would be Je ne sais par pour qua (excuse spelling, it's early)
or "I don't know why", I knew that grade F in GCSE french would come in useful.



Oh shit, just admitted to knowing summat about Kylie *whistles* nothing to see here folks, move along now
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Sat 10 Apr 2010, 9:46, closed)

too late
I've got screen shots and everything.
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Sat 10 Apr 2010, 9:56, closed)

Shit...
You're right. Kudos on the Kylie knowledge by the way.
(Moominator missing the good stuff cos' the swear filter is on, Sat 10 Apr 2010, 9:53, closed)