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Thursday January 29, 2004

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soi-disant \swah-dee-ZAHN\ , adjective:
Self-styled; so-called.

The study exposes most varieties of 'human resource management' as a complete waste ofttimes promoted by soi-disant gurus and self-serving consultants with an eye for a quick buck.
-- "Support for an old-fashioned view", Independent, May 12, 1994

The troupe, soi-disant egalitarians, mostly turn out to be royal phonies.
-- Craig Offman, "Whiz Kid", Time, February 1, 1999

Soi-disant comes from the French, from soi, "oneself" + disant, "saying," present participle of dire, "to say."

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for soi-disant

 

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