Friday phrase: cause célèbre

[med_cat]

cause célèbre, n. \ˌkȯz-sə-ˈleb, -ˈle-brə, ˌkōz-, -ˈlebrə\

1: a legal case that excites widespread interest

2: a notorious person, thing, incident, or episode


Example

a cause célèbre from some reality TV show whose fame hadn't even lasted the proverbial 15 minutes

Etymology
French, literally, celebrated case


First Known Use: 1763