beau geste

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French beau geste (“beautiful gesture”).

Noun

beau geste (plural beaux gestes)

A gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substance.
- "In a magnificent beau geste, the destroyer, hopelessly trapped, turned as if to flee, threw out a smoke screen, and when the [enemy ship] charged into it, rammed her at flank speed..." --William Manchester, The Last Lion Vol. 2, page 635

Translations

gracious gesture, noble in form but often futile or meaningless in substance

Icelandic: (fake benevolence) uppgerðargóðvild f, (pretentious magnanimity) sýndardrengskapur m, (a noble act) göfugmannlegt verk n, (an honourable deed) drengskaparbragð n

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