Toujours Tingo Read online

  grün und blau ärgern sich to see red (literally, to anger oneself green and blue)

  blau machen to take a day off (literally, to make blue)

  blau sein to be drunk (literally, to be blue)

  mit einem blauen Auge davon kommen to get off unscathed (literally, to get away with a blue eye)

  ein blaues Auge a black eye (literally, a blue eye)

  die blaue Stunde the time before dusk especially during winter (literally, the blue hour)

  Tee-hee

  Sometimes, indeed, more than the right results:

  bungisngís (Tagalog, Philippines) one who giggles at the slightest provocation

  ngisngis (Manobo, Philippines) someone who cannot control his laughter

  latterkrampe (Norwegian) convulsive laughter

  mengare (Gilbertese, Oceania) a forced laugh, to laugh on the wrong side of one’s mouth

  tirebouchonnant (French) extremely funny (literally, like a corkscrew – as one takes in air repeatedly to laugh)

  mémêstátamaò’o (Cheyenne, USA) to laugh so hard that you fart

  No potato

  In the Arab world they distinguish between those who are good humoured, damak khafeef, literally, their blood is light, and the opposite, damak tieel, their blood is heavy. But however well meaning, humour always carries the risk of failure:

  pikun (Kapampangan, Philippines) one who cannot take a joke

  nye kartoshka (Russian) no joking matter (literally, no potato)

  jayus (Indonesian) someone who tries to make a joke which is so unfunny that you laugh anyway

  Pulling your nose

  The different expressions for ‘pulling someone’s leg’ reveal subtle differences in approaches to teasing. For the Germans it’s jemandem einen Bären aufbinden. literally, to sell somebody a bear; for the French it’s mettre en boite, to put someone in a box. The Spanish pull your hair (tomar el pelo), the Finns pull your nose (vetää nenästä), while the Czechs go one further and hang balls on your nose (věšet bulíky na nos).

  Worry-wart

  But better, surely, to laugh at your troubles than live on your nerves:

  bēi gōng shé yǐng (Chinese) worrying about things that aren’t there (literally, seeing the reflection of a bow in a cup and thinking it’s a snake)

  qaquablaabnaqtuq (Iñupiat, Inuit) to be tense because of an impending unpleasantness

  doki doki (Japanese) the feeling of great anxiety when someone is about to do or doing something very nerve-racking

  hira hira (Japanese) the feeling you get when you walk into a dark and decrepit old house in the middle of the night

  como cocodrilo en fabrica de carteras (Puerto Rican Spanish) to be extremely nervous (literally, to be like a crocodile in a wallet factory)

  No balls

  We all aspire to zanshin (Japanese), a state of relaxed mental alertness in the face of danger; but for most of us our reactions are all too human when bad things really do happen:

  les avoir à zéro (French) to be frightened (literally, to have one’s testicles down to zero)

  ngua mat (Vietnamese) unable to stand something shocking

  khankhanana (Tsonga, South Africa) to fall backwards rigid (as in a fit or from extreme fright)

  jera (Indonesian) so scared by a past experience that one will never want to do it again

  Spider on the ceiling

  Then again, rather be healthily scared than driven round the bend:

  keçileri kaçırma (Turkish) to lose one’s marbles (literally, to kidnap the goats)

  avoir une araignée au plafond (French) to be crazy (literally, to have a spider on the ceiling)

  lud ko struja (Serbian) crazy as electricity

  más loco que un plumero (Spanish) crazier than a feather duster

  vrane su mu popile mozak (Croatian) he’s crazy (literally, cows have drunk his brain)

  IDIOMS OF THE WORLD

  A sandwich short of a picnic

  šplouchá mu na maják (Czech) it’s splashing on his lighthouse

  hij heeft een klap van de molen gehad (Dutch) he got a blow from the windmill

  ne pas avoir inventé le fil à couper le beurre (French) not to have invented the cheese wire to cut butter

  hu khay beseret (Hebrew) he lives in a movie; his whole life is like a movie

  non avere tutti i venerdì (Italian) to be lacking some Fridays

  tem macaquinhos no sotão (Portuguese) he has little monkeys in the attic

  udaren mokrom čarapom (Serbian) hit with a wet sock

  ikke at vsere den skarpeste kniv i skuffen (Danish) not to be the sharpest knife in the drawer

  4.

  Social Animals

  ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao, māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata! (Maori)

  ask me what is the greatest thing in the world, will reply: it is people, it is people, it is people!

  Most of us are sociable creatures, unable to avoid relying on those around us to keep us happy:

  bukaladza (Tsonga, South Africa) to dispel boredom by doing something such as paying a visit

  buren (Dutch) to look in upon one neighbours

  lishashamana (Lozi, Niger-Congo) the habit of running out to see anything that happens

  gezellig (Dutch) an atmosphere of cosiness, of being with good friends, and spending time together laughing and having fun; the kind of moments that create memories

  Hermit

  Better that than being the odd one out:

  lappsjuka (Swedish) a state of melancholy through being so isolated

  encontrarse como un pulpo en un garaje (Spanish) to be like a fish out of water (literally, to be like an octopus in a garage)

  nkunkula pansi (Mambwe, Zambia) an orphan who has no one to look after him and passes his time playing in the dust

  Whacking aunt

  When we do get together, are our conversations as morally improving as they might be?

  gigirhi-gigirhi (Tsonga, South Africa) to go from village to village exchanging gossip

  Klatschbase (German) a person who always gossips (literally, whacking aunt)

  ngasngás (Tagalog, Philippines) a scandal caused by gossip

  Bären aufbinden (German) to tell false tales (literally, to tie a bear onto someone)

  False friends

  sober (Estonian) male friend

  drug (Russian) good friend

  fun (Yoruba, Nigeria, Benin and Togo) to give

  host (Czech) guest

  Party spirit

  For some the urge to socialize can get the better of their wiser instincts:

  mawadishiweshkiwin (Ojibway, North America) the habit of making visits too often

  mit der Tür ins Haus (German) failing to take someone by surprise, to be too direct, to be too forward (literally, to fall with the door into the house)

  paglaguma (Tagalog, Philippines) the act of joining others in a party although uninvited

  paracaidista (Central American Spanish) a freeloader, gatecrasher; also someone who jumps into a discussion without knowing anything about the subject (literally, parachutist)

  Storm – free shack

  But then who can resist a really good bash?

  parapetowka (Polish) the first party in someone’s new apartment (literally, a windowsiller – as there’s no furniture yet)

  ipeje (Yoruba, Nigeria, Benin and Togo) an invitation to a banquet

  ponkal (Tamil) a boiling, a bubbling-up; a great festival in honour of the sun entering the sign Capricorn (the name comes from the cooking of the celebratory rice)

  eine sturmfreie Bude (German) a flat without the parents, thus allowing the children to throw a party (literally, a storm-free shack)

  nachspil (Swedish) a follow-up party

  After – parties

  In Japan, the second, sometimes spontaneous gathering that happens after you have left the main party is called nijikai. If you move on after a while to a third place, it’s called sanjikai.

&nbs
p; Looking over the fence

  Some guests are obviously more welcome than others:

  partigangare (Swedish) a fanatical partygoer

  laumaeläin (Finnish) a gregarious animal

  Zaungast (German) a guest who looks over the fence to get at least the music of the party (literally, fence guest)

  aguafiestas (Spanish) a killjoy, one who throws water on a party (literally, water party)

  The sound of yoghurt

  A little music often helps…

  kanariom (Yoeme, USA and Mexico) the first tune played or danced

  dorremifassolar (Portuguese) to play scales on the piano

  yaourt (French) English pop music sung without any understanding of the meaning; singing to create something that sounds like English pop music but actually isn’t (literally, yoghurt)

  accharika (Pali, India) to make heavenly music

  Wiggle your bucket

  … and then things can really kick off:

  gida (South Africa Township) to jump up and down constantly in one place (as a form of dance)

  menear el bote (Mexican Spanish) to dance (literally, to wiggle your bucket)

  chachula (Tsonga, South Africa) a dance with the rhythmic quivering of the body

  kundáy (Tagalog, Philippines) dance movements made by the wrist

  Duck feet

  Or not, as the case maybe:

  hávêsévôhomo’he (Cheyenne, USA) to dance badly

  asiqtuq (Iñupiat, Inuit) nodding with the head while others dance

  pamutas-silya (Tagalog, Philippines) ladies who go to dances but do not dance

  paton (Cuban Spanish) duck feet (i.e. can’t dance)

  Keeping their bottle

  Sometimes you just have to call in the professionals:

  binasohan (Bikol, Philippines) a dance in which three glasses partially filled with wine are balanced, one on the head and one on each hand

  danza de la botella (Paraguayan Spanish) a bottle dance in which each dancer balances a flower-filled bottle on his head

  gamadj (Ojibway, North America) dancing with a scalp in one’s hands, in order to receive some presents

  National anthems

  The title of a country’s officially chosen anthem can be very revealing about its history: the Czech Kde domov müj (Where is My Home) reflects many years of shifting borders and invasions. Other interesting titles include:

  Burkina Faso: Une seule nuit (Just One Night)

  Israel: Hatikvah (The Hope)

  Kurdistan: Ey Reqîb (Hey Enemy or Hey Guardian)

  Netherlands: Het Wilhemus (The William)

  Norway: Ja, vi elsker dette landet (Yes, We Love This Country)

  Romania: Deşteaptă-te, Române (Wake Up, Romanian)

  Tuva, Siberia: Tooruktug Dolgay Tangdym (The Forest is Full of Pine Nuts)

  Time, please

  Always be wary of overstaying your welcome. As the Italians say, ‘L’ospite è come il pesce: dopo tre giorni puzza’, the guest is like a fish: after three days he smells bad:

  desconvidar (Portuguese) to withdraw an invitation

  il est comme un cheveu dans la soupe (French) he is not welcome; he has come at an awkward time (literally, he is like a hair in the soup)

  pudyapudya (Tsonga, South Africa) to go away because one is shown one is not wanted

  ngloyor (Indonesian) to go without saying goodbye

  apagavelas (Caribbean Spanish) the last person to leave a party

  IDIOMS OF THE WORLD

  Have your cake and eat it

  auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen (German) to dance at two weddings

  aam ke aam, guthliyon ke daam (Hindi) you can have mangoes and sell the seeds as well

  dikasih hati minta jantung (Indonesian) given the liver and demands the heart

  avoir le beurre, argent du beurre et la crémière avec (French) to have butter, money from butter, and the woman who makes the butter

  non si puo avere la botte piena è la moglie ubriaca (Italian) you can’t have a full cask of wine and a drunken wife

  5.

  Having an Argument

  casa onde náo há páo, todos ralham e ninguém tem razáo (Portuguese)

  in a breadless home, everyone complains and nobody is right

  Cold porridge

  One downside to socializing is all the enforced jollity, often with people you might not choose to spend that much time with otherwise:

  metepatas (Spanish) a person who always does or says the wrong thing

  yokogamiyaburi (Japanese) an obstinate person (literally, to be difficult to tear paper sideways)

  elle coupe les cheveux en quatre (French) she is a difficult person (literally, she cuts hair into four pieces)

  kashi nye svarit (Russian) to be impossible to get along with (literally, the porridge can’t be boiled)

  Being difficult

  The German expression Fisimatenten machen, meaning to make things unnecessarily difficult, is a mangling of the French visiter ma tante (visit my aunt). It originates in the difficulty of imposing a curfew on occupied France during the Second World War. Visiter ma tante was the general excuse used by people arrested on the streets at night by French soldiers.

  On the edge

  Watch out for those snappy exclamations. They’re generally a sign of rapidly fading patience:

  kalter Kaffe (German) that’s old hat (literally, cold coffee)

  dang-geun i-ji (Korean) it’s obvious (literally, it’s a carrot)

  da lichen die Hühner (German) you must be joking (literally, this makes the chickens laugh)

  heso de cha o wakasu (Japanese) don’t make me laugh (literally, I boil tea in my navel)

  nu tog fan bofinken (Swedish) now that’s done it (literally, the devil took the chaffinch)

  ne cui hui v chai (Russian) don’t mess things up (literally, don’t stir the tea with your penis)

  Looking for the hair

  And some people just can’t help but provoke you:

  bamp (Scots) to harp on the same topic constantly, to nag about the same thing

  chercher un poil aux oeufs (French) to nit-pick (literally, to look for a hair on eggs)

  juubakonosumi o (yoojide) tsutsuku (Japanese) to split hairs (literally, to pick at the corners of a food-serving box with a toothpick)

  no tener pelos en la lengua (Latin American Spanish) to be very outspoken (literally, to have no hairs on your tongue)

  napleiten (Dutch) to discuss might-have-beens, go over old ground again, keep on arguing after a thing has been decided

  Pig’s ribbon

  Sometimes you can feel it all getting too much:

  la moutarde me monte au nez (French) to begin to lose one’s temper (literally, mustard is climbing up my nose)

  akaspa (Dakota, USA) to be provoked beyond endurance

  poner como lazo de cochino a (alguien) (Mexican Spanish) to jump down someone’s throat (literally, to make someone look like a pig’s ribbon)

  Cracking up

  We must, of course, do our very best to be tactful and discreet, relying on our wits to keep us out of trouble:

  mijèry àrina an-tàva (Malagasy, Madagascar) not to tell a person his faults (literally, to notice a blotch on the face but not mention it)

  dar(le) el avién a (alguien) (Mexican Spanish) to say yes or agree, without really meaning it or paying attention (literally, to give the aeroplane)

  tumodisa (Setswana, Botswana) to shut a person’s mouth to prevent him from speaking

  ad-hoc-Bildungen (German) making up a new word on the spot in a moment of need

  adin’ andriana (Malagasy, Madagascar) a quarrel in which both parties show great respect for each other

  Hell is other people(s)

  It’s always easier to describe unpleasant things or experiences in foreign terms; it makes them less immediate and it’s a good way of having a dig at another culture at the same time. When we can’t understand someone’s English we call it Double Dutch; while the Danes call a g
rey cloudy day Swedish Sunshine:

  spaans benauwd (Dutch) lack of air when you are dead nervous (literally, Spanish lack of air)

  une querelle d’Allemand (French) a quarrel started for no obvious or good reason (literally, a German argument)

  kitaiskyi televizor (Russian) the manual examination of baggage at customs (literally, Chinese television)

  mandras kaip prancūzij šuo (Lithuanian) proud as a French dog

  avoir l’oeil americain (French) to have a sharp eye (literally, an American eye)

  doccia scozzese (Italian) a shower that goes from very hot to very cold (literally, Scottish shower)

  schwedische Gardinen (German) prison bars (literally, Swedish curtains – the Swedish had a reputation for fine quality steel)

  Mexican rage

  Mexican Spanish has expressions for each stage of losing your patience with someone. Alucinar a alguien is to be fed up with someone’s constant and not very welcome presence; estar como agua para (pa’) chocolate, to be absolutely furious (literally, to be as hot as the water needed to melt chocolate); and finally parar(se) de pestañas describes losing it completely (literally, to stand on your eyelashes).

  Picking a fight