mot (n.)

"一句简明有力或机智的话", 1813年; 更早的意思是"座右铭" (1580年代, 现已过时), 来自法语中的 mot (12世纪) "remark, short speech," 字面意思为 "word", 意为“言论”，源自同源的意大利语 motto，来自中世纪拉丁语中的 muttum "a word," 来自拉丁语中的 mutum "a grunt, a murmur"(参见 mutter). 另请参见 bon mot. Mot juste (1912) 是法语, 字面意思是"exact word", 意为某种情况下完全适当的表达方式。

The mot juste is an expression which readers would like to buy of writers who use it, as one buys one's neighbour's bantam cock for the sake of hearing its voice no more. [Fowler]

The mot juste 是读者想要从使用此词的作家那里购买的表达，就像人们曾经为了不再听到邻居的小公鸡而购买它一样。[Fowler]