I fancy certain French phrases more cleverly said in that language or for which there is no convenient English counterpart. Consider:

1. faire du lèche-vitrine. As Seth Sherwood writes in the New York Times (“Down Sybarites’ Alley,” December 23, 2007):

   Parisians don’t go window shopping. Rather, when the weekend arrives, the masses stroll past the boutiques and, as they put it, ‘faire du lèche-vitrine’ (go window licking).

2. jolie laide. Literally, “pretty-ugly.” From a long-ago Google-cached article I’ve lost the source for:

   The crumpled, melancholic Serge Gainsbourg even wrote a song about one such beauty: ‘Oh Jolie laide. Laide jolie. Souvent mignonne. Vilaine aussi ...tu es pile et tu es face...’ (‘Jolie laide, often cute, ugly too ...you are heads and tails.’) Gainsbourg and actress-singer Jane Birkin are the parents of French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, who might be this generation’s poster child for jolie laide.

   And from my own email archives:

   I’d never thought of myself being a jolie laide kind of guy, but you know what? That’s exactly right. (e.g. Charlotte Gainsbourg.) The average American guy’s idea of feminine physical perfection alternately disgusts or bores me. Now, when in the company of men, speaking of things men do, I’ll be able to admit that I have ‘a type.’

   ‘Jolie laide,’ I’ll say.

   And they’ll take a swig of beer and say, ‘Yeah, I think Angelina Jolie’s pretty hot, too.’

3. l’esprit d’escalier. Literally, “stairway wit.” It’s when you think of a comeback too late, as previously covered here.