365 New Words a Year [Merriam Webster] (Workman Publishing) 10/13/7: métier

métier n 1: vocation, trade 2: an area of activity in which one excels : forte*

The DYK compares the words métier, employment, occupation, and calling: "Employment implies simply that one was hired and is being paid by an employer, whereas occupation usually suggests special training and calling generally applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession. Métier, an 18-th century French borrowing, typically implies a calling for which one feels especially fitted." Awesome distinction. Rating: 5/5 workdays.


*you'll probably pronounce forte incorrectly. From the entry on MW's website: In forte we have a word derived from French that in its “strong point” sense has no entirely satisfactory pronunciation. Usage writers have denigrated \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯr-tē\ because they reflect the influence of the Italian-derived ²forte. Their recommended pronunciation \ˈfȯrt\, however, does not exactly reflect French either: the French would write the word le fort and would rhyme it with English for. So you can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All are standard, however. In British English \ˈfȯ-ˌtā\ and \ˈfȯt\ predominate; \ˈfȯr-ˌtā\ and \fȯr-ˈtā\ are probably the most frequent pronunciations in American English.