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25 words/expressions that don't exist in English

Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal DhammaWe(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
in General Banter
Languages are so beautiful in their multitude of ways of attempting to express the seemingly unexpressable.

http://sobadsogood.com/2012/04/29/25-words-that-simply-dont-exist-in-english/


My favourite on this list is #2 :D
ZeroDaftChrislobsterLee82

Comments

  • ToshTosh Veteran
    Very good!

    This made me smile:
    Backpfeifengesicht (German): A face badly in need of a fist
    I think it's also interesting to note what other countries don't have words for. Do you know that in Japan they don't use the word 'Ginger'? They call it orange (I'm half Japanese on my Mother's side).

    And the Germans don't have a word for 'fluffy', which I think is extremely telling of the German cultural nature (if I'm going to get all stereotypical, which I am).
    Invincible_summer
  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    I like this one:
    22 Tatemae and Honne (Japanese): What you pretend to believe and what you actually believe, respectively.

  • SephSeph Veteran
    Ve pet-eh dans la fleurs (French) = Go fart in a flower (literally).
    Really means: (basically) Go piss off!)
  • darkprincess128darkprincess128
    This is so intriguing. I knew of schadenfreude and the staircase wit one, because I feel that we seriously need words for those but the rest are really interesting/funny!
  • YaskanYaskan Explorer
    edited March 2013
    I remember some years ago when I was learning Russian, my phrase book listed a few sayings and their direct translations or equivalents. One of them has always stay with me.

    English: Blood from a stone
    Russian: Milk from a he-goat

    It specifically said 'he-goat' as opposed to 'male goat'. I don't know if that's at all significant, but it certainly helped keep it in my memory. I'll have to find that phrase book. I know I still have it some where...
    Invincible_summer
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    @Tosh, americans say orange for ginger also. Ginger is a spice, strictly.
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
    Wait... @Tosh and @Jeffrey - what kind of "ginger" are we talking about here? Like, ginger people?
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited March 2013
    @Invincible_summer, like a color of a cat. A ginger cat. Americans do say that, but wouldn't say the color is ginger in a painting, Not the cookie :)

    I'm not sure I understand either, maybe a misunderstanding of american versus english language.
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    PS. On a more serious, but not too serious, note, here is a short talk about how and why 'x' became known as "the unknown."
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran
    I am reminded of polari, yiddish, cockney rhyming slang, mobile phone text speak, leet etc . . .
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polari

    Eh ma ho (Tibetan)
    Invincible_summer
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited March 2013
    '1 Age-otori (Japanese): To look worse after a haircut'

    We (English where I live)
    have a word for this one.....zeek/ed.
    "Dude, you got zeeked"
    Invincible_summer
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran
    One of my favourites is the Kiwi (New Zealand) word "munted".

    It can be used in so many different ways!

    I was munted last night (drunk), that car is munted (not working), he is a munter (fool).
    Invincible_summer
  • lamaramadingdonglamaramadingdong Veteran
    Lymph- to walk with a lisp
    MaryAnneInvincible_summer
  • YaskanYaskan Explorer
    edited March 2013
    Jeffrey said:

    @Invincible_summer, like a color of a cat. A ginger cat. Americans do say that, but wouldn't say the color is ginger in a painting, Not the cookie :)

    I'm not sure I understand either, maybe a misunderstanding of american versus english language.

    Isn't it simply that a colour is 'orange' unless it's hair/fur, in which case it changes to 'ginger'? Nothing to do with the spice. Compare with the colour yellow vs blond(e) hair or brown vs brunette.

    As an aside, if you really get into cat genetics, a cat's coat is either black or 'red' (orange/ginger). It's just a matter of dilution and pattern that gives them their varied coats.

    It's interesting that the colour orange becomes ginger for hair/fur, but then in cat genetics it's called red!
    Invincible_summer
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