English borrowed the loanword “verve” from French, where it has an identical spelling and meaning — “energy, spirit, animation.” “Verve” is used today to designate the energy that gives life to an artistic performance, composition, or piece of writing. Any sort of creator has verve. But an old-fashioned usage of the word simply referred to a special talent or ability. Your verve could have been fixing a toilet or composing a symphony.