à la

American  

[ah lah, ah luh, a la] / ˈɑ lɑ, ˈɑ lə, a la /

Or a la

preposition

1. according to; in the manner of.

   a short poem à la Ogden Nash.

2. Cooking.

   1. prepared in the manner of, to the taste of, or by.

      chicken à la provençale.

   2. prepared with the ingredient of.

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à la British  

/ a la, ɑː lɑː, æ lə /

preposition

1. in the manner or style of

2. as prepared in (a particular place) or by or for (a particular person)

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à la Idioms  

1. Like, in the manner of, as in He hoped to break all records, à la Babe Ruth. This expression, an abbreviation of the French à la mode de (for “in the manner of”), has been used in English since the late 1500s.

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Etymology

Origin of à la

First recorded in 1580–90; from French: short for à la mode de “in the style of”; à “at, in, to,” from Latin ad ad- ( def. ); la, feminine of le “the,” from Latin ille “that” ( alligator ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

The Department of Water Resources’ proposal is a way to finally protect water for the area’s residents, said Holly Irwin, a La Paz County supervisor who for years has pushed to address the problem.

From Los Angeles Times

When Elizabeth writes of stepping into her gleaming kitchen to “test the crumbly brown goodness of the toasted veal cutlets à la Connecticut,” she is not so much lying as world-building.

From Salon

Safdie’s script, co-written by Ronald Bronstein, is even structured like an ’80s movie that builds up to the big showdown, be it a ski race, a car-washing competition or a frat house decathlon à la “Revenge of the Nerds.”

From Los Angeles Times

Imbued with brooding elements of chamber pop à la Beach House, Broadcast and the Carpenters, there is much enchantment to be found in the details of Zardoya’s electric drama; like how the warm fuzz of an organ meets frosty chimes on opening track “Puddles,” or in the restless, skittish pulse of “Swan.”

From Los Angeles Times

The burden is “supposed to be on the minority to really put itself ... on the line to generate a larger debate” — a la the fictive Jefferson Smith — “and hope during the course of it that they can turn opinions around,” said Ornstein, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• according to
• in accord with
• in accordance with
• in the manner of