1.09.2010

Lost in Translation

Back in college I was an English and Italian double major.  I appreciate things like this....
Words that don't exist in English
  • Gheegle: (Filipino) The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute.
  • Culacino: (Italian) The mark left on a table by a cold glass.
  • Sgriob: (Gaelic) The itchiness that overcomes the upper lip just before taking a sip of whisky
  • L’esprit de escalier: (French) The feeling you get after leaving a conversation, when you think of all the things you should have said. Translated it means “the spirit of the staircase.” 
  • Pari-pari and Saku-saku: (Japanese) Hard-crispy verses Soft-crispy, i.e. a rice cracker versus fried chicken 
  • Stam: (Hebrew) An agreement out of amusement and frustration that something doesn’t have a satisfactory answer among those talking. 
  • Forelsket: (Norwegian) The euphoria you experience when you are first falling in love. 
  • Manja: (Malay) A characteristic or action for affectionate and pampered/being pampered. 
  • Dupey (pronounced Duh-Up-Pee; Jamaican Patwa) A bothersome ghost or apparition.
{via Je ne sais quis}

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