Make Your Point: ARRIVISTE

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pronounce ARRIVISTE:

AIR ee VEEST

connect this word to others:

The snobby, insulting word arriviste means "an arriver: a person who's trying to move up into a higher social class where they don't belong." In other words, they're trying to level up in society, trying to arrive in a higher sphere. Maybe they're trying to reach the b___ m___de or "fine world," the social stratum of beauty, fashion, and luxury. Can you recall that term?

Getting back to the word arriviste: it's an ugly thing to say. But inside arriviste, you can see the word arrive, which is rather beautiful. It comes from a Latin phrase, ad ripam, meaning "to the shore, or to the riverbank." (In Latin, ripa is "riverbank" and rivus is "stream or brook.")

So, we can think of words like arriviste, arrive, and river as belonging to a family, one that also includes the words __rive ("to originate from" or literally "from the stream") and riv___t ("a little river" or "anything that seems to flow, trickle, or wind through something"). Can you recall those two words?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

French for "arriver," the word "arriviste" has been used in English since 1895 or so.

An arriviste is a person who's annoying and pushy as they try hard to move upward in society.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind: "He's an arriviste;" "Residents treated the newcomers like arrivistes."

Some writers use "arriviste" as an adjective, as in "arriviste parents" and "arriviste swagger." Feel free to do the same, but be aware that it's much more common to use "arriviste" as a noun.

Other forms:

Just the plural, "arrivistes."

how to use it:

There's a time and a place for a mean, snobby, judgmental, somewhat rare word like "arriviste," and I trust you to use it only then!

You might talk about people acting like arrivistes, or about people being treated like arrivistes. Or, especially if you're talking about history or fiction, you might describe certain people as arrivistes as a quick way to let your listeners know that these folks have only recently come into their money and power—and they haven't yet gained acceptance among their new peers.

examples:

"[In the story 'The Immigrants'], two arriviste Nepalis have to overcome their mutual native prejudices in a strange land."
— John Garth, The Guardian, 25 January 2013

"The [story], which describes old-fashioned Wasps feuding with glamorous arrivistes, is a safari of rich people behaving badly."
— Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 16 July 2019

has this page helped you understand "arriviste"?

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Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "arriviste" without saying "social climber" or "parvenu."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "If you happen to gain entree to (some kind of special group or club), nothing gives away your arriviste status quicker than (doing something)."

Example 1: "If you happened to gain entree to the cool kid table at lunch where I went to middle school, nothing gave away your arriviste status quicker than hauling around your gym clothes in anything other than a navy blue shopping bag from the Gap."

Example 2: "Newbie tip, if you happen to gain entree to the private jet club, nothing gives away your arriviste status quicker than having to open your luggage on the tarmac to get the liquids out. That was us. Private jets fly at around 40,000 feet and their luggage section isn’t pressurized. In other words, your little bottle of shampoo is a bomb. It has to come in the cabin."
— Charlton Pettus, New York Times, 16 October 2019

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April is "Interpret the Titles: Tim Curry Edition!"

Are you a fan of Tim Curry? (How could anyone not be?) Did you know his birthday is in April? I didn't until I looked it up, but it’s the perfect excuse to base this month's game on his filmography.

I'll give you the title of some show, movie, or video game that Tim Curry has starred in, along with a summary, and I'll challenge you to interpret the title in three different ways.

To see some examples, and some tips if you get stuck, head here!

Try this one today: "Sacrifice" is a 2007 video game starring Tim Curry as the voice of Stratos, the god of air. According to IMDb, in the game, "The Wizard Eldred flees from his destroyed homeworld and the demon that destroyed it and ends up on a new world ruled by five gods. The gods are preparing for world war with each other, and Eldred pledges his allegiance to them in exchange for power and a sanctuary. Things change however, when the demon that destroyed Eldred's old home arrives to the new world, and a desperate hunt for the destroyer begins. This incites the war into total chaos."

1. It's titled "Sacrifice" because... ?

2. It's titled "Sacrifice" because... ?

3. It's titled "Sacrifice" because... ?

To see some possible answers, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. The opposite of an ARRIVISTE could be

A. an aristocrat who marries beneath them, moving downward socially.
B. an investor who propels a new company to success, turning a profit.
C. a person who fears commitment, always moving on to the next relationship.

2. Charles C. Mann wrote that "the Mexica" were _____, "arrivistes who _____ a brilliant line of descent."

A. rebels and highwaymen .. learned from
B. artists and scientists .. were borne of
C. upstarts and pretenders .. falsely claimed

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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