Have you ever come across someone who pretends to have credentials they didn’t earn? You might hear this adjective used to describe them as a “soi-disant expert.” The French term translates literally as “oneself” (“soi”) “saying” (“disant”). When this term began to be used in English in the mid-1700s, it had a tone of deception. However, “soi-disant” doesn’t always have to be used in a negative sense. You could just as easily use it to give someone credit for their self-earned knowledge on a subject outside of traditional education. It’s all in your perspective.