chantoose

Chantoose" does not strike me as a common word in English but I have seen it used in phrases such as "a French cabaret chantoose". It took me a while to realize that, in fact, it of course means "chanteuse" (French, feminine, for "singer", the masculine being "chanteur" - "chanter" is "to sing", hence the English "a chant"). As I understand, "chantoose" is a semi-phonetic transcription into English of the French term. forum.wordreference.com/threads/chantoose-use-of-the-word.96106/
Quoting: James Brandon

phrases such as "a French cabaret chantoose” Would you say it is pretentious, and/or for/by arty types, and/or used ironically (cf "thespian" for "actor", for instance).

by WhereCreditIsDue August 04, 2022