| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| passe (adj.) |
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| is French in origin but, except for spelling and pronunciation, is now an English word. It means “old-fashioned, out-of-date” and hence “uninteresting.” American English usually retains the acute accent in spelling (Edited English will still occasionally also use the feminine French form, passée, where appropriate, but its use is dwindling). There are three pronunciations: pas-AI, pahs-AI, and PAS-ai, the latter infrequent in the United States. Some commentators dislike it as another foreign word, but others agree that it’s now Standard English. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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