Overmorrow refers to the day after tomorrow and I feel like it comes in quite handy for example.
Sesquipedalian: A user of big words
I like that saying sesquipedalian makes you sesquipedalian.
This is my favourite too. I have a very sesquipedalian friend, and I had the honour of introducing him to the word.
ereyesterday is the day before yesterday. as a german i am used to refer to two days in the past and future without useing weekdays.
Not a word, but there’s a specific phrase uttered when you casually pass by someone working, stop for a chat, and then genuinely wish them well with their work as you leave.
This phrase does not exist in English:
- “Break a leg” is close, but more reserved for some grand performance
Nor does it exist in German:
- “Viel Spass/Glück” (Have fun, Good Luck) is also close, but has an element of sarcasm and/or success through chance.
- (Edit) “Frohes Schaffen” (Happy ‘getting it done’) is pretty spot on.
In Turkish, you just say “Kolay Gelsin”, meaning “May the work come easy so that you finish sooner”.
Its such a useful unjudgemental phrase, easily uttered, that I’ve seen nowhere else. Maybe other languages have it too.
Would “Have a good one” maybe serve that purpose? It’s not exactly the same, but similar sentiment.
Very true! At the same time, I feel like you would only say that to something that will happen and not something that is currently happening. Is that right?
Yeah, I’d say so. Maybe something like “Take it easy” would fit better.
“… and if that don’t work, take it sleazy.”
“I would say ‘don;t do anything I wouldn’t do’, but that doesn’t rule out much”
“May the odds be ever in your favor” works in almost any situation!
Reminds me of a much abbreviated version of this Irish prayer:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Exactly this kind of sentiment. Beautiful poem.
I use “have fun” completely unironically all the time. One time my partner’s (Pakistani) carer thought I spoke Arabic because Afwan is apparently an Arabic salutation meaning approximately the same as “cheerio”, “goodbye”, or “you’re welcome” in English. He also turns up around half one every day for added amusement
“Break a leg” is close, but more reserved for some grand performance
So in Estonian we have a bunch of those I don’t remember because nobody uses them anymore. But the main one everyone knows is “Kivi kotti” (literally, stone/rock in your bag, but much like with “break a leg”, you actually wish them well). It’s still basically “good luck” but not so much for grand performances, it could just be for your first day of work, or going fishing (the real origin I guess). There’s also “Nael kummi” which is “nail in your tire”, which is reserved for people driving somewhere.
Doesn’t exist in German? What about “Frohes Schaffen”?
(I’ve literally never heard that said once, but it qualifies, so I’ll add it)
Dutch: ‘Werk ze’
“Good luck with/have fun with that!” In a pleasant tone while gesturing towards the act being done is enough, I’ve found
Unless it’s clearly like, WORK, work, then something like “don’t work too hard, there!” Is common
The tone of it is the same, but there’s also a sarcastic interpretation of it though, and it can be applied liberally to lots of non-work situations
I say “good luck” in a non-sarcastic tone to people whenever they head off on some banal errand. It gets some confused looks sometimes, laughs others.
I will steal that one!
It’s German but ‘Rucksackriemenquerverbindungsträger’, the thing between the straps of a backpack that you can connect to lighten the load on your shoulders.
I made the word up but I use it pretty often.
Well … I knew exactly what you meant, as you know what I mean when I say: “Rucksackriemenquerverbindsungsträgerersatzschnalle” and I think it’s beautiful.
Also: “Getriebeschmiernippel”
The chest strap?
Yes
fuck germany
That’s a lot of people, I doubt you have the stamina
are you saying i won’t do it
I mean, I guess you have the name for it
What did Germany ever do to you?
This is lemmy so they’re probably angry Germany isn’t bombing Israel like Iran
Gloam/gloaming
The onset of twilight/becoming gloomy
Spotted the Radiohead fan
I’m honestly not sure what you’re referring to. Is that a word they use a lot in their lyrics?
They wrote “Roaming In The Gloaming”, I guess?
Albeit.
My favorite English word… I use it quite often because it fits the German Ductus.
Meant to say in my Nero Wolfe comment - there’s a Lemmy community for interesting words at !wotd@lemmy.world - it’s not very busy, but still.
Wait overmorrow is correct English? We have “morgen” and “overmorgen” in Dutch which is tomorrow and overmorrow respectively, so I always missed an overmorrow in English. Is it actually commonly understood or will people look at me like I’m a weird foreigner when I use it?
Hysteresis, the lag or delay between doing something and it’s outcome. See also: hysteretic.
It also means path dependency.
I use hysteresis daily… Refrigeration.
I think you meant lag. But this is a good one. One of my favorite words. It seems to be used in technical settings a lot, especially for electricity. I read an article a while back that applied it to social situations I.e. social hysteresis. It applies to so many things its ridiculous.
Two of my favorite:
Why do people still think vaccines cause autism despite the overwhelming evidence against? Social hysteresis.
Why do people think inflation is out of control in the US despite the fact that its been less than 3% for over a year? Social hysteresis. (Also because people want deflation)
On thermostats it’s the difference between the off and on temperatures - like if you set it to 24 degrees, you could have a hysteresis of 1 degree, meaning it’ll turn on again at 23 degrees. (Or something like that.)
“Overmorrow” is actually not obscure or obsolete at all in german.
“Übermorgen” is quite often used (at least around me)Übermorgen is the name of my heavy metal band
Whom
Sometimes I feel like I’m still the only person who still uses it. I’m teaching my daughter the proper way to use it because the schools aren’t.
I’m always shouting it at movies and TV shows when they use “who” instead.
I think it’s used more often in computer science, but the difference between contiguous and continuous. Continuous means “without end” and contiguous means “without break.”
As in the continuous United States 🦅🦅🦅
Gandalf brought an extra eagle because he didn’t know if Smeagol survived.
Look, you cant just go around throwing mind-bending wisdom like that into a random thread.
🫡
Vituperative. Means vicious.
Sorry
I see you’ve never been to Canada.
Sorry, I speak a little Canadian, eh?
I’m currently reading through all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, and one fun feature is that he almost always includes one or more very obscure words. It’s a nice little thing to look out for.
In the one I’m currently reading it’s, “peculate,” meaning to embezzle or steal money. Others include:
- Plerophory - Fullness, especially of conviction or persuasion
- Apodictically - From apodictic: clearly established or beyond dispute
- Usufruct - The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
- Acarpous - Not producing fruit; sterile; barren
- Yclept - By the name of
- Eruction - A belch or burp
I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.
I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Yeah, I was thinking I might. I ly thing is, I haven’t got all the books, nor do I have a website on which to host such a list. However I might still have a go 👍
If you start it, just put a tag that the list is incomplete and the wiki crowd will finish it.
Eruction - A belch or burp
There could be some wild confusion if a New Zealander were to say “I’ve got a massive eruction building up” 😆
It’s curious to see how things merge between languages. In Spain, both usufruct (usufructo) and eruction (eructo) are quite common words.
Oh really? That’s cool, thanks for the info. Language is so fascinating 👍
