because life doesn’t fit in a file folder

Tag: Dictionaries

Tingo Tuesday: Tell Me Your Iktsuarpok Moment

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It’s Tingo Tuesday!

The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo & Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World by Adam Jacot de Boiod.

Today, I’m sharing an Inuit word.

You know that feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house and how you keep going to see if they’re there yet?

The Inuit call that “iktsuarpok.”

I do that all the time!

And, to think, I just thought I was excited!

I love when other cultures have language for the actions and concepts for which we haven’t necessarily got the right words.

So where do you come in?

I’m so glad you asked!

In a moment, I’m going to ask you to leave me a comment.

In fact, you can leave multiple comments. Think of this as a contest you can enter as many times as you’d like.

Just make each entry a different comment.

I will pick the comment I love the most and the winner will get to follow in the shoes of my last winner, Pegoleg. See her over there in my sidebar? Isn’t she cute? Yeah, well she’s consistently funny, too. And prolific!

{I apologize for getting side-tracked, Peg-o. I’m giving you a foot-rub right now. Can you feel it? I knew that you could.}

Non-bloggers, I know you are feeling pouty. You’re like: “What about me? I don’t have a blog.” No worries! You can still win. I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. Oh, and if you happen to be looking for a new job, you can add “uncanny ability to comment on words with no English equivilent” on your resumé. Feel free to direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.

Now, before you all jump ship and head over to Pegoleg’s place…

Tell me the last time you had a (real or fictional) IKTSUARPOK moment. What happened? Who were you waiting for? Was it worth the wait?

Tweet this twit @rasjacobson

What the Deuce Does INDICULT Mean?

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It’s the last Monday of the month, and you know what that means?

What do you mean you don’t know?

The last Monday of each Month is Made-It-Up Monday.

I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:

  • define it
  • provide its part of speech, and
  • use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because it’s fun.

And because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World.

Did you know that in Japan, the word “bakku-shan” means “the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front”?

Somehow, I’m guessing that is not a real popular word with the ladies.

Anyway, I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

The last time we did this the word was HUFFALOFTUS.

Remember, the first person to use the word even remotely close to the way I do shall receive linky-love. And by that, I mean I will announce your identity in the next Made-It-Up Monday post next month and link up to your blog, so folks can head over and check out your stuff.

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. If you guess the meaning, I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a new job, you can put “uncanny ability to define 100% bogus words” on your resumé and direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.

Our last winner got a whole spread, so I won’t redo.

Continuing alphabetically, this month’s word is: 

INDICULT

What the heck is that? Define it. And give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

Tweet this Twit @rasjacobson

Brissue

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Today I am continuing with my new feature: Made-It-Up Mondays.

I am throwing out a 100% made-up word (that I actually use in real life) and I am asking you to a) define the word, and b) then use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because someone recently gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

For example:

“Slampadato” is an Italian word, a noun, meaning one who is addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons.

We don’t really have a word for that in English, do we?

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

When we last played this game, the word was ARBORCADE, and the person who came closest to defining the word the way I actually use the word was Brian Henke. He guessed that an arborcade was:

that well-intended planting of trees across the back of your yard that you pictured as a beautiful, well-maintained sanctuary for people and wildlife that has grown into a wild, impenetrable tangle of growth that could swallow small children and now has barricaded you from some of your favorite neighbors.

We have, in fact, planted a boat-load of trees in the back of our house in an attempt to “arborcade” ourselves off from the enormous school that looms in our backyard.

Continuing alphabetically, this week, a made-up word that I often use is:

BRISSUE

What the heck is that? When would you say it? Define it and give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

Whoever comes closest to defining it the way I actually use it will get a mention and a link to his or her blog, if applicable.

From Zhaghzhagh to Arborcade

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Today marks the beginning of a new feature for me: Made-It-Up Mondays.

On Mondays when I’m in the mood, I am going to throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to a) define the word, and b) then use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because someone recently gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

(Of course, it is my new favorite book.)

I read that that there are approximately 1,010,649.7 words in the English language. And while this seems like a really enormous lexicon, many nuances of human language sometimes leave us tongue-tied.

Sometimes it is necessary to turn to other languages to find a word to find le mot juste.

As Bill DeMain noted in his article “15 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent”:

“Zhaghzhagh” is a Persian word, a noun, meaning the chattering of teeth from extreme cold or rage.

We don’t really have a word for that in English, do we?

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

It will be fun to see what other people come up with.

Remember, you can’t be wrong because the word I throw out will be a 100% fictional word.

If you’d like to submit a made-up word of your own, feel free to contact me. (My info is under the “Contact Me” tab.)

I’m starting alphabetically.

This week, the made up word is:

ARBORCADE

What the heck is that? When would you say it? Define it and give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉