Take Their Word for It
When English lacks the precise word to convey a subtle or complex concept, it often smuggles in a word from another language to do the job.
Where would we be, for instance, without those hearty German immigrants' "zeitgeist" (the mood or spirit of an era) and "schadenfreude" (pleasure at another's misfortune)? Or without that uncanny Turk "kismet" (fate), that mystical Sanskritian "karma" (a person's spiritual emanations) or that repetitive Parisian "deja vu"? Or that repetitive Parisian "deja vu"? Oops.
But gaps in the English lexicon remain, and Howard Rheingold's delightful book "They Have a Word for It" (Saraband Books, $9.97) offers some fascinating foreign expressions to fill them.
These words might come in handy, for instance, at a cocktail party, where you try to avoid a "Fachidiot" (FAHCH-ee-dee-oat). That's German for an excessively narrow-minded technical expert. If you're lucky, you'll meet an "animateur" (on-ee-mah-TOUR), French for someone who can communicate complex concepts to general audiences.
See that mom in the corner boasting about her four-year-old's mastery of the multiplication tables? In Japanese, she's a "kyoikumama" (key-OH-ee-koo-mama), a mother who pushes her children into academic achievement -- and undoubtedly goes on to become a "HELL-ih-cop-ter" parent.
At some point in the evening, you're sure to "tartle" (TAR-tul), a Scottish word meaning to hesitate in recognizing a person or thing. Perhaps you'll meet an old flame and engage in "cavoli riscaldati" (kuh-VOH-lee ree-skall-DOT-ee), an attempt to revive an old romance, literally "old cabbage" in Italian. Jay Gatsby, take note.
Does a guest at the party have an obvious drinking problem that nobody talks about? The Kiriwina tribespeople of the Trobriand Islands call such an unspoken but acknowledged truth a "mokita" (moe-KEE-tah). And, come to think of it, I'll have a mokita on the rocks.
As you leave the party via the front steps, you might suddenly think of a fantastically clever remark you could have made but didn't. In French, that's an "esprit de l'escalier" (EHS-pree duh les-kall-yay), literally, "the spirit of the staircase."
On the way home, you might happen to spot some men stooping to pick wildflowers to use as "Drachenfutter" (DROCK-uhn-foot-er). That's German for a peace offering given to a wife by a guilty husband. Its literal meaning? Dragon fodder. Ach du Lieber!
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Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to WordGuy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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