faux pas
doesnt change - im not even sure it's proper French as I've never heard a French person use it.

Dictionary.com says it means 'false path' but Im not too sure. Ok, 'faux' means false and it's spelled the same in the single as the plural in the masculine with the feminine being 'fausse' and 'fausses' and 'pas' must be the root of the English word 'path' but again, I've never seen it used. Usually they use 'chemin' or 'route'. That is not to say 'pas' is never used.

In French, the verb 'falloir' is roughly equivalent to 'must' in English so I always thought it was an abbreviation of 'il ne faut pas' which again, roughly means, 'one mustn't'.

I am standing to be corrected.
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 1 Dec 2008, 12:59, 1 reply)

lol the grammar police have fast cars
I have no idea what the origin of the term is, haven't really thought about it. I've only ever heard "pas" sued in french in the form ne [something] pas. I assume it's just one of those bastardized phrases that has no particular relation to the mother tongue anymore.
(Lieutenant Colonel Oblivious brought to you by intravenous sugar, Mon 1 Dec 2008, 13:09, closed)

nah, i betcha I get found out by an even bigger pedant before the day is out.
:)
(bazmorningstar efil4nat3b, Mon 1 Dec 2008, 13:19, closed)

You're right that it is the same in plural and singular
But I think my Dad once told me that it means falling over, in French, or something like that.

Although, this could well be wrong.
(The Kwyjibo A big, dumb, balding North American ape., Mon 1 Dec 2008, 13:50, closed)

Faux pas
"A false step"

Pas meaning to step
( rofl harris, Mon 1 Dec 2008, 14:02, closed)

as in
pas de deux, etc. A plural of it in French is determined by if it has "un" or "des/les" before it
Falloir is a modal verb, in english they are verbs that don't take "to" with them - should, must etc.
(micky2shoes has more shoes than feet, Mon 1 Dec 2008, 15:41, closed)