We like words here at For Reading Addicts and we’re particularly fond of odd foreign words that translate really badly. Some things it seems just cannot be described in English, at least not in a single word, although I’m not sure how much use you’d have for many of these anyway.
Anyway, we hope you enjoy these seven utterly wacky words that you’ll almost certainly never use.
Waldeinsamkeit
(German)
The feeling of being alone in the woods.
L’espirit de l’escalier
(French)
Staircase Wit; the act of thinking of a witty comeback after the moment has passed.
Scriob
(Celtic)
The itchiness that overcomes the top lip just before that first sip of whisky
Mamihlapinatapai
(Yaghan, southern Chile)
A look between two people suggesting and unspoken desire.
Gigil
(Filipino)
The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute.
Tingo
(Pascuense language of the Easter Islands)
To borrow objects one by one from a neighbour’s house until they have nothing left.
Pochemuchka
(Russian)
Someone who talks too much.
Age-otori
(Japanese)
To look worse after a haircut.
Good luck getting some of those into your conversations! I particularly love L’espirit de l’escalier, this has a German equivalent Treppenwitz and we love both! If you like this you may like our 15 Words that don’t Translate into English too.
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