pas devant

[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

Pas devant les enfants, as my grandmother used to say.

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It’s almost not criticising the idea at all, rather just muttering that perhaps we shouldn’t say this outloud, along the lines of pas devant les enfants.

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Cracked a foreign diplomat in expectant Washington: "Us ne passeront pas devant le maire* but there will be a common-law marriage."

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

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"Il m'est mout grant honneur en la paix que je foiz au Roy d'Angleterre pour ce qu'il est mon home, ce que n'estoit pas devant."

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