faux pas

/ˈfoʊ ˌpɑ/

/fəʊ pɑ/

If you misread a party invitation and arrive in a penguin costume, only to realize that the other guests are wearing elegant gowns and tuxedos, you'll understand what it means to commit a faux pas, or an awkward social mistake.

Faux pas literally means "false step" in French, and that's a great description of what you do when you make a faux pas. It's a matter of stepping in the wrong direction, or saying exactly the wrong thing. A faux pas can offend people sometimes, but more often it's just embarrassing for everyone involved.

Definitions of faux pas

1. noun

   a socially awkward or tactless act
   synonyms: gaffe, gaucherie, slip, solecism

   type of:

   bloomer, blooper, blunder, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, pratfall

   an embarrassing mistake