Boulevardier

Boulevardier

bo͝oləvärˈdyā

Noun

  • A wealthy, fashionable socialite.

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Example Sentences

“Genevieve was a vivacious boulevardier who was known for her style and throwing exclusive parties.”

“Daisy Buchanan from ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a boulevardier and the epitome of the 1920s flapper.”

“Many boulevardiers attend debutante balls as part of their entrance into society.”  

Word Origin

French, late 19th century

Why this word?

This word was originally coined as a French term meaning, naturally, “a person who frequents boulevards.” “The Boulevardier” was a magazine edited by American socialite and Vanderbilt family member Erskine Gwynne, created to be a kind of Parisian “New Yorker” for Americans living in Paris in the 1920s. The magazine eventually inspired the name of the boulevardier cocktail, which also originated in 1920s Paris. The drink is made up of equal parts Campari, sweet red vermouth, and either rye whiskey or bourbon, with an orange peel for garnish. The word “boulevardier” has been used in English in the context of a wealthy socialite since at least the late 19th century, when many other French words were in fashionable vocabularies.

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ˌdīəˈjēsis