I always love to hear new words or expressions and, although I don’t catch on too quickly to the YOLO, OMG, ROFLMAO kinda acronyms used by the kids of today, it’s interesting to hear another language and try to appreciate what it all means. Even more so when it is actually a real language, with culture and history attached. And although the English language seems to have quite a lot of words to choose from, sometimes you’ll hear a word or expression from another land and think: bingo! That really captures it perfectly – I wish we had a word like that.
In honour of some of those types of words, artist Fuchsia Macaree put together an alphabet of expressive words that are missing from the English language. Here are some examples…
You can check out the rest of this clever collection at the Fast Company magazine Co. Create site here. While you’re enhancing your vocabulary, just remember that you can’t use these words in Scrabble, no matter how tempted you may be…
everydaysparks 
Awesome post today, Sparks. These are wonderful – especially Age-tori!
Having a German Mum, one of the things I grew used to as a child was her saying how the German language had wee idioms and specific words that English lacked. One of my favourites that has made the jump is ‘schadenfreude’. I’m not sure if it would be allowed in scrabble – too many letters, anyway!
Ha, glad you liked them – such a great idea! 🙂
Love the German one! I married into a Greek family and have picked up some great sayings too! Although probably not too politically correct!
Yep, I know what you mean BCD – these posters are pretty tame, maybe we could put together our own version? Actually, that’s not a bad idea…let’s add it to the list for discussion when TSL and I return to town and we catch up for that drink…
sounds good to me!!
I LOVE a face in need of a slap!!! I know many of those…
I’m with you on that one!
When I read “A face in need of a slap” – it really resonated within me. I don’t know if that says more about me or the people I know. Whatever – it gave me a bit of the laugh!
Glad to hear it Marcie, it was my favourite too! 🙂
my favourite new (made up word) word is “carguments”.
it refers to the fight you have, usually with your partner or parents, in the car while backseat driving.
Love your work, Mrs. I want to hire you as a consultant when we produce our range of prints featuring made-up words (mords?) 🙂
Fantasmagorical, just fantasmagorical! I can’t believer I have never heard of some of these! I feel like all my life I have been waiting to hear the word Backpfeifengesicht XD