Mrs Trellis
Well-known member
"The Meaning of Tingo " by Adam Jacot de Boinod -
- a hot tip to replace "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" as a best seller -
is a collection of strange linguistic phenomena from around the world:-
Albanian has 27 words for eyebrows and 27 words for types of moustaches.
Vietnamese has 18 words for "you" as Modern Greek has 15 for "The".
Here's a selection starting with the eponymous Tingo:-
Tingo, Pascuense Easter Island, Borrowing things from a friend's house one by one until he has nothing left.
Koshatnik, Russian, a dealer in stolen cats.
Koro, Japanese, A hysterical belief that one's penis is shrinking into one's body.
Fucha, Portuguese, To use company time and resources for one's own purposes (guilty looks spread on UK Caving posters' faces)
Queesting, Dutch, to allow a lover access to one's bed under the covers for a chat.
Senzuri, Japanese, Masturbation male - literally "a hundred rubs"
Shiko Shiko Manzuri , Japanese, Masturbation female - literally "ten thousand rubs". Can't Japs find it?
Sacanagem, Brazilian Portuguese, Openly seeking sexual pleasure with one or more partners other than one's lover during Mardi Gras.
Bakku-Shan, Japanese, Girl who looks fairly promising from behind but turns out to be a swamp donkey.
Narachastra Prayoga, Sanskrit, Men who worship their own genitalia.
Desus, Indonesian, the quiet smooth sound of someone farting not very loudly.
Ngaobera, Pascuense, Slight inflammation of the throat caused by screaming too much.
Nylentik, Indonesian, To flick someone's ear with the middle finger.
Grilagem, Brazilian Portuguese, The practice of putting a live cricket into a box of newly faked documents until the insect's excrement makes them look genuine.
Buz-baz, Persian, A showman who makes a goat and a monkey dance together.
Nakhur, Persian, A camel that won't give milk until her nostrils have been tickled.
Dhurna, Anglo-Indian, Extorting payment from someone by sitting on their front doorstep and staying there without food, threatening violence until paid.
Gosh-pech, Persian, Twisting the ears of a schoolboy as punishment.
Zechpriller, German, person who leaves a restaurant without paying the bill.
Tsuji-giri, Medieval Japanese, To try out a new sword on a passer-by.
- a hot tip to replace "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" as a best seller -
is a collection of strange linguistic phenomena from around the world:-
Albanian has 27 words for eyebrows and 27 words for types of moustaches.
Vietnamese has 18 words for "you" as Modern Greek has 15 for "The".
Here's a selection starting with the eponymous Tingo:-
Tingo, Pascuense Easter Island, Borrowing things from a friend's house one by one until he has nothing left.
Koshatnik, Russian, a dealer in stolen cats.
Koro, Japanese, A hysterical belief that one's penis is shrinking into one's body.
Fucha, Portuguese, To use company time and resources for one's own purposes (guilty looks spread on UK Caving posters' faces)
Queesting, Dutch, to allow a lover access to one's bed under the covers for a chat.
Senzuri, Japanese, Masturbation male - literally "a hundred rubs"
Shiko Shiko Manzuri , Japanese, Masturbation female - literally "ten thousand rubs". Can't Japs find it?
Sacanagem, Brazilian Portuguese, Openly seeking sexual pleasure with one or more partners other than one's lover during Mardi Gras.
Bakku-Shan, Japanese, Girl who looks fairly promising from behind but turns out to be a swamp donkey.
Narachastra Prayoga, Sanskrit, Men who worship their own genitalia.
Desus, Indonesian, the quiet smooth sound of someone farting not very loudly.
Ngaobera, Pascuense, Slight inflammation of the throat caused by screaming too much.
Nylentik, Indonesian, To flick someone's ear with the middle finger.
Grilagem, Brazilian Portuguese, The practice of putting a live cricket into a box of newly faked documents until the insect's excrement makes them look genuine.
Buz-baz, Persian, A showman who makes a goat and a monkey dance together.
Nakhur, Persian, A camel that won't give milk until her nostrils have been tickled.
Dhurna, Anglo-Indian, Extorting payment from someone by sitting on their front doorstep and staying there without food, threatening violence until paid.
Gosh-pech, Persian, Twisting the ears of a schoolboy as punishment.
Zechpriller, German, person who leaves a restaurant without paying the bill.
Tsuji-giri, Medieval Japanese, To try out a new sword on a passer-by.
