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bêtise
bay-TEEZ
noun
folly; stupidity; a foolish remark; a foolish act
1932John BuchanThe Gap in the CurtainThere is a species of bêtise, which I believe at Cambridge is named after some don, and which consists in missing completely the point of a metaphor or a joke, in setting the heavy heel of literalness on some trivial flower of fancy.1990Peter MayleA Year in ProvenceHe trimmed the meat, cubed it, filled a small bag with chopped herbs, told us where to go to buy the best peppers...went through the recipe twice to make sure we weren't going to commit a bêtise, and suggested a suitable Côtes du Rhône.

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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