entente cordiale

plural ententes cordiales · alternative entente-cordiale

1. A friendly relationship, especially one between parties who might otherwise be adversaries or, at least, wary of one another.

   His Reception and Speech at the City Hall. Entente Cordiale Between the Mayor and the President.

   1861 February 21, “The Incoming Administration: Mr. Lincoln in New-York”, in New York Times, retrieved 08 Jul 2015

   5 more examples

   Bonaparte's first act after providing lucrative positions for his family was to write another letter, couched in language of a most fraternal nature, to the King of England, asking for peace. "Dear Cousin George," he wrote, ". . . let us restore the entente cordiale and go about our business without any further scrapping."

   1895, John Kendrick Bangs, chapter 9, in Mr. Bonaparte of Corsica

   [F]ewer and fewer authors are turning from journalism to literature, though the ‘entente cordiale’ between the two professions seems as great as ever.

   1902, William Dean Howells, “The Man of Letters as a Man of Business”, in Literature and Life

   [H]e grew unpleasantly sensitive to a drop in the temperature of the entente cordiale which had thus far obtained between himself and the gambler.

   1913, Louis Joseph Vance, chapter 10, in The Day of Days

   [E]mbarrassment . . . had decided Bryce not to mention the matter of the girl to John Cardigan until the entente cordiale between Pennington and his father could be reestablished.

   1918, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 24, in The Valley of the Giants

   After a decade of scorched-earth warfare, Louella ("Lollipop") Parsons had sat down to public lunch with her rival, Hedda Hopper. The entente cordiale did not last, of course.

   1963 February 15, “The Press: Through a Keyhole Darkly”, in Time, retrieved 08 Jul 2015

1. collectiveA specific set of landmark agreements, signed on April 8, 1904, that resolved a number of long-standing territorial, economic, and strategic points of contention between Britain and France.

   The tensions of an uneasy peace stressed anew the importance of the 46-year-old Entente Cordiale between France and Britain.

   1950 March 20, “The Nations: Cordial Visit”, in Time, retrieved 08 Jul 2015