Some more weird words from around the world

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared any of the weird words from Adam Jacot de Boinod’s The Meaning of Tingo, so — for travelers looking to wow (or just confuse) their international hosts — here are a few choice global vocabularly nuggets:

  • The Dutch word for skimming stones is plimpplamppletteren.
  • Nakhur is Persian for a camel that won’t give milk until her nostrils are tickled.
  • Cigerci is Turkish for a seller of liver and lungs.
  • Madogiwazoku is Japanese for “window gazers” (i.e., office workers who sit at desks with little to do).
  • Seigneur-terrasse is French for a person who spends much time but little money in a café.
  • Tsuji-giri is Japanese for trying out a new sword on a passer-by (an example of the lack of respect for peasants by the Samurai).
  • Torschlusspanik is German the fear of diminishing opportunities as one gets older.

Posted by | Comments (1)  | May 26, 2006
Category: General

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