Noblesse Oblige

ABOUT the only thing I learned in one of my high school history classes was the meaning of the French term noblesse oblige. It rhymes with "oh mess o' peas" and usually meant, in the days of feudalism, the obligations noblemen had towards persons of lesser rank. Today, there are few nobles to be noblesse, and there are even fewer required to display oblige. It's a lost tradition.