savoir faire
This French expression savoir-faire literally means "To know how to do";
savoir to know , faire to do . It is an expression of tact
and know-how, ability to act tactfully, knowing what to do. Especially
used of behavior in social situations. In Oxford English Dictonary since
1815.
Example: "Pandora handles that whip with real savoir faire" (Thx Tiefling!)
This is an entry in the mini series about French idioms in the English
language.