Faire fi de


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French Expression

Meaning	to ignore, flout, look down on
Literally	to make disdain about
Register	normal
Pronunciation		[fehr fee deu]
IPA		[fɜʁ fi də]

Usage notes: The archaic interjection fi ! indicated disdain or disgust, along the lines of pouah ! or berk ! There was also fi donc ! which expressed the speaker’s disdain for another’s attitude or behavior.

Today, the word fi survives in only two places:

In joking references to that original meaning – sort of like an English speaker might say "fie on you!"
In the colloquial expression faire fi de, which means "to ignore" or "to flout."

Par exemple…

Ma fille fait fi de mes conseils.		My daughter ignores my advice.
Ils ont toujours fait fi des règlements.		They’ve always flouted the rules.
En faisant fi de la politesse, elle gâche ses relations.		By looking down on politeness, she ruins her relationships.