pas devant

[ French pah duh-vahn ]

interjection

1. French. not in front (of): used to suggest or warn that discretion is needed in the presence of children or other people:

   There are so many jokes that could be told, but this is a family event, so pas devant!

Word History and Origins

Origin of pas devant¹

First recorded in 1950–1955; from French pas “not” (short for ne...pas, literally “not a step”; pace ¹( def ) ) + devant “in front (of),” compound of de de ( def ) and avant “before” ( avant-garde ( def ) )

Example Sentences

Je poussai mon cheval quelques pas devant le sien; j'etois eurieux de l'observer dans un pareil moment.

From Project Gutenberg