The Meaning of Tingo: and Other Extraordinary Words from Around the WorldDid you know that in Hungary, pigs go rof-rof-rof, but in Japan they go boo boo boo? That there’s apparently the need in Bolivia for a word that means "I was rather too drunk last night but it was all their fault"? Adam Jacot de Boinod's book on extraordinary words from around the world will give you the definitions and phrases you need to make friends in every culture. A true writer's resource and the perfect gift for linguists, librarians, logophiles, and international jet-setters. While there’s no guarantee you’ll never pana po’o again (Hawaiian for "scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten"), or mingmu (Chinese for "die without regret"), at least you’ll know what tingo means, and that’s a start. “A book no well-stocked bookshelf, cistern top or handbag should be without. At last we know those Eskimo words for snow and how the Dutch render the sound of Rice Krispies. Adam Jacot de Boinod has produced an absolutely delicious little book: It goes Pif! Paf! Pouf! Cric! Crac! Croc! and Knisper! Knasper! Knusper! on every page.”—Stephen Fry |
Contents
| 1 | |
From Top to Toe | 13 |
Movers and Shakers | 29 |
Getting Around | 39 |
It Takes All Sorts | 45 |
Falling in Love | 61 |
The Family Circle | 75 |
Clocking On | 87 |
Below Par | 125 |
From Cradle to Grave | 131 |
Otherworldly | 143 |
All Creatures Great and Small | 149 |
Whatever the Weather | 163 |
Hearing Things | 171 |
Seeing Things | 179 |
Number Crunching | 185 |
Other editions - View all
The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World Adam Jacot de Boinod No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
Africa Afrikaans Albanian Ancient Greek animal Arabic Australia banana Bemba blue Brazil camel Caribbean Spanish Central America Chinese colours Congo and Zambia consecutive vowels Cook Islands Maori Cradle to Grave Czech Danish describe drink Dutch ears Easter Island English evocative example expression Falling in Love False friends feeling finger Finnish fish French German green guages hair Hausa Hawaiian Hindi horse Hungarian husband India Indonesian Inuit Italian Japanese Khakas Korean language Latin legs literally means Malay Meaning of Tingo Meeting and Greeting Mexico mother's moustache Nahuatl Nicaragua Nigeria night noise Norwegian nose Number Crunching one's oneself Papua New Guinea Penguin Books Persian person Peru Quechuan rain Rapa Nui Russian Scottish Gaelic Siberia sneeze snow someone sound specific spoken Swedish Takes All Sorts Thai things thumb Top to Toe Tulu Turkish Ulwa vocabulary Wagiman walk weather Welsh woman write to Penguin Yiddish Zarma