During email chat with UK friends the subject of odd foreign words came up - 1 word so far…
A German word - ‘Backpfeifengesicht’ - according to Google Traduction, means, ‘A face in need of a fist’.
Are there other such words, in other languages?
During email chat with UK friends the subject of odd foreign words came up - 1 word so far…
A German word - ‘Backpfeifengesicht’ - according to Google Traduction, means, ‘A face in need of a fist’.
Are there other such words, in other languages?
Guys, I know it’s a stressful time for everyone but could we keep some threads fun. Free from Covid Brexit etc
But punching that face would be entirely justified given that this is a woman who would gladly sink the boats carrying asylum seekers mid-channel so that they do not land on the shores of the UK.
It’s a good job I realise you are joking Paul and not advocating violence against women
I don’t advocate violence against anyone, especially those least able to defend themselves - but increasingly I find myself caught between Asimov - “violence is the last refuge of the incompetent” and Kennedy - “those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable”.
Both the UK and the USA are teetering on the brink of full blown fascism, both are much closer than many people realise and the history of such regimens is that they do not end peacefully.
This one has a Backpfeifengesicht! Big Time!!!
Let’s get back on topic here please.
Yaourter - to “talk yoghurt”, so they say
In Spanish, the usual term for jellyfish is “medusa”, but a regional variation is “aguaviva” literally meaning “living water”.
A ‘vive’ is a weever fish, which gives a very nasty sting, I expect they are connected.
Arabic has some fantastic words - برطل pronounced ‘bartala’ means to put a long flat stone in the front part of a watering-hole: hence to bribe. (It is the ‘hence’ I particularly like).
Also صبع Soba’a which means to examine a hen to see whether or not she is about to lay an egg.
Am I alone in musing on a context in which both Arabic words would find themselves in very close conversational proximity, as when two individuals are weighing up the likely success of a bid to offer (or to accept) a fat bribe, to the satisfaction of both parties?
As a live in carer I meet many South Africans who have some lovely expressions such as “snotclap” - when you hit someone so hard the snot flies! (Not that I would advocate such violence of course!)
Germans have a few choice words - but one is probably well known already
Schadenfreude
happiness at some ones misfortune.
A local (Frankfurt/Hesse) expression is a bit trickier to translate
Schlappekicker
someone kicking off his slippers - often used when watching a game of football and a player misses the ball/goal, can also be used to describe a whimp
Fuctifino, means" haven’t got a clue" in any language
I love Kümmerspeck and Winterspeck which mean the bit of extra weight you put on through comfort eating or in winter, respectively. Speck is bacon pretty much.
I find it quite amusing that the Spanish for “if only” is “Ojalá” or “would to Allah”.
There are some Danish words I fell in love with but far too late now , I’ll have a think and add them!
patacaisse / pataquès / pas-t-à qu’est-ce