Word Pirates

There’s a book, “Toujours Tingo,” that showcases a bunch of unique foreign words that have no English equivalent. In some cases, we just start using these words in everyday English (think schadenfreude or ennui, coincidentally two of my favorite words). I often make up my own words for things. I love the English language and think it is full of possibilities. But I must say, I am jealous of some of these words other languages have.

Here are a few that I think are pretty handy:
Jayus - Indonesian: someone who tells a joke so unfunny you can’t help laughing.

Tartle - Scottish: to hesitate when you are introducing someone whose name you can’t quite remember

Layogenic - Tagalog, Philippines: a person who is only goodlooking from a distance.

link

-marcia