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Word of the Week: Bonhomie

01.21.2007

bon?ho?mie [bon-uh-mee, bon-uh-mee; Fr. baw-naw-mee]

–noun
1. frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendliness; geniality.

[Origin: 1795–1805; < F, equiv. to bonhomme good-natured man (see boon2, Homo) + -ie -y3]

–Related forms
bon?ho?mous, adjective

In A Sentence
"TOO MUCH bonhomie can make for bad sales performance. Cullen again: ''The average salesperson falls down by getting too involved in the relationship with the customer, so involved he may forget to close the deal. Or he will end up championing the customer at the expense of his own company.'"

- Baig, Edward C., "HOW TO MANAGE SALESPEOPLE" FORTUNE Magazine, March 14, 1988

 

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ? Random House, Inc. 2006.

Shawn Denny, Information Services Librarian