Comments on: Mission Impossible II

By: Raf Uzar

Raf Uzar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:24:29 +0000

Here’s another one:
“mumagamagama” a person who habitually loses things.

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:56:23 +0000

Very far, I’m sure.

By: tanaudel

tanaudel — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:17:29 +0000

The German is very similar to the English “skirt-chaser” - not surprising given the relationship of the languages, and I wonder how far back that phrase goes.

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:10:09 +0000

Yes, it is odd (or is it?) that the word “Mamihlapinatapai” is not use in other languages.

Interesting, that Polish also ‘looks through fingers’…

By: Cudzoziemiec

Cudzoziemiec — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:52:36 +0000

Mamihlapinatapai (from Tierra del Fuego): two people looking at each other each hoping the other will do what both desire but neither is willing to do

A lovely idea which should have a word or phrase the world over.

Iets door de vingers kijken (Flemish): allow something illegal or incorrect to happen by conscious inaction (literally, to look at something through the fingers)

The very same phrase is used in Polish (and therefore I expect in other European languages - maybe a Latin root?). Patrzec przec palce.

By: transubstantiation

transubstantiation — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:24:54 +0000

Wonderful. Brilliant. Many thanks!

By: J. K. Gayle

J. K. Gayle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:17:27 +0000

ooops: masuk angin (Indonesian): to catch a cold (literally, a draft or wind has entered)

By: J. K. Gayle

J. K. Gayle — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:16:27 +0000

Great question, and more wonderful examples!

Here are more:

Pie in the Sky by and by (West Texas English): heaven (literally, sweet dessert in the atmosphere eventually)

(Just heard that one at a Cowboy Church in San Angelo, Texas USA this past Sunday, when someone was explaining to me the hymn “I’ll Fly Away,” which I’m wondering how to translate into Vietnamese.)

trúng gió (Vietnamese): to catch a cold (literally, to be hit by the wind)

masuk angin (Vietnamese): to catch a cold (literally, a draft or wind has entered)