Wordstuck Searchlights and sunglasses: Chapter one 38 Wonderful Foreign Words We Could Use in English Sometimes we must turn to other languages to find le mot juste. Here's a bunch of foreign words with no direct English equivalent. A face badly in need of a fist. This Japanese slang term describes the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front. An amazing dream. Not just a "good" dream; the opposite of a nightmare. It’s nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name. Leave it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for “tenderly running your fingers through your lover’s hair.” The result of attempting to revive an unworkable relationship. A word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his trousers. To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child. Frühjahr is "springtime," while Müdigkeit means "tiredness."
Copy, Adapt, Reproduce (AKA solving problems without creativity) « Mindflip Evolution has allowed life to adapt and survive in the harshest of environments. The copy, paste, randomly change model allows for life to continue evolve and succeed in incredibly hostile conditions. Survival of the Best Adapted. Yet with our own culture, rather than emulate the success of this model, we have pursued the God Model. Furthermore, should we achieve such a model, we will have created the ultimate dystopia. Our environment is changing more rapidly than this traditional model can possibly keep up. If we can’t understand these systems, how can we possibly design for them? We can’t and we shouldn’t. Instead we should adopt what has proven to be successful – Life. Copy, Adapt, Reproduce Copy: When we find a problem we should first look to find a solution that has already worked (you know how to google don’t you?) Adapt: Where different materials or localised processes are required – apply them. Reproduce: Share your successes in a way in which they can be easily copied. Like this:
28 Genius Depictions Of Words With No Direct English Translation They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in this case, each image is worth just one. Designer Anjana Iyer seeks to explain untranslatable words from non-English languages, with the help of a some quirky imagery. The New Zealand-based artist's series of illustrations, each of which is accompanied by a short explainer, effectively translates words that cannot be directly anglicized. The series, "Found In Translation," draws from a variety of languages including Greek, Korean and Tshiluba (which is spoken in Democratic Republic of the Congo). Iyer began the series as part of the 100 Days Project, a web-based creative exercise out of New Zealand which asks artists to choose an activity and repeat it every day for the next 100 days. See a sample of Iyer's illustrations of untranslatable words, below. Anjana Iyer Mamihlapinatapei (Yagan)
What True Love Has To Do With Great Innovation If there’s one thing we know about great innovations, it’s that they always break from the status quo. The best creative thinking occurs outside of the usual systems at work. The problem is, most of us live and work inside the system. So you have to purposely jam the controls. 1. The long days of summer offer two crucial things: time and freedom. 2. Who’s paying for this date? 3. You need to go make out. 4. When it comes down to it, when you’re in love, you feel like the best version of yourself. What Do You Think? Scott McDowell takes the risk out of hiring your management team.
Words that have no equivalent in English Schadenfreude — a feeling not unknown to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard right now. Source: Supplied But what about the perfect word for those other times you need to sum up a complex feeling? These excellent words listed below have no English equivalent. It’s just a small smattering of what’s out there, and some have even been turned into artwork by New Zealand artist Anjana Iyer. Treppenwitz — The perfect word to describe the feeling when you think of the perfect comeback to an insult about three hours too late. Backpfeifengesicht — Punchable is probably the best English equivalent for this excellent German word that means “a face that should be slapped”. Komorebi — A Japanese word for the effect of dappled sunlight shining through trees. The Komorebi effect. Prozvonit — A Czech word used to describe giving someone a quick missed call so they phone you back and pay the bill for it. There’s a word for those times you’re given a missed call to avoid a bill.
The Art of Insight and Action 12 Wonderfully Quirky Words with No English Equivalent In They Have A Word For It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words and Phrases, Howard Rheingold describes many words from other languages that express things English can’t—at least not succinctly. Here are just a few of our favorites. 1. Treppenwitz We often think of the perfect comeback long after the opportunity for that comeback has presented itself. 2. This Indonesian word indicates “a phrase uttered in order to gain extra strength when carry heavy objects,” and is meant for a person who is lifting solo. 3. According to Rheingold, this is a Russian noun that describes “the feeling a person has for someone he or she once loved but now does not.” 4. A Japanese noun that refers to “an awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words.” 5. This German adjective means "flustered to the point of incompetence." 6. Italians use this phrase—which literally translates to “reheated cabbage”—to describe an “attempt to revive an old relationship.” 7. 8. 9.