gaucherie
UK[ˌɡəʊʃəˈriː]US[ˌɡoʊʃəˈriː]
n
an awkward or clumsy act or remark; a social blunder.
n
awkwardness or lack of social grace.
Morpheme Breakdown
gauche
erie
gauche
awkward
erie
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'gaucherie' is a direct borrowing from french, entering english in the 18th century. it is formed from the adjective 'gauche', meaning 'left' or 'awkward', combined with the noun suffix '-erie', which denotes a state or condition. the semantic link stems from the historical bias associating the left hand with clumsiness or lack of skill, in contrast to the right hand which was considered dexterous (from latin 'dexter', meaning 'right'). thus, the literal 'left-handedness' evolved into the modern abstract meaning of social awkwardness or a tactless act.
Analysis
Structure: gauche (awkward) + erie (noun suffix)
gauche (from french, meaning 'left, awkward', ultimately from latin 'gauche' meaning 'left side'); erie (a french noun-forming suffix, from latin '-aria')
Examples
his comment about her age was a terrible gaucherie.
despite her wealth, she was often criticized for her social gaucherie.
the diplomat was trained to avoid any political gaucherie during the sensitive negotiations.