Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store
Competition No 3918
Set by John O'Byrne, 13 February
You were asked to make up foreign words that could go in the next edition of The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World. These are words that have no equivalent expression in English. You were given as an example Blechlawine, which literally translates as "metal avalanche" and is the German word describing "a long queue of stationary cars on the autobahn".
Report by Ms de Meaner
A massive postbag, due partly to the number of people who entered other competitions altogether. Good ones, too, which I shall set at some future date. For example, darling Adrian Fry sent in Ai kee yaah (say it quickly to yourselves!). He claimed that this was a Mongolian word (which translates, literally, as "going out to buy pork and coming back with a pig") and it describes "the disappointment and frustration experienced/attendant on the purchase of self-assembly furniture". Loved it! And there were others who produced good neologisms using people's names: for example, Bill Greenwell's Einsteiner - "a man who drinks beer at the speed of light and leaves", and J Seery's Ein Kissinger - "a prize awarded for an advocate of public services who always goes private". (I absolve John Griffiths-Colby and El Basilio of this sin, as theirs were amalgams.) This week, the winners get £20 each. In addition, the Tesco vouchers go to Nicholas Hodgson for the whale.
Irvingsverbot (Ger. lit. forbidden historian): A denial-based belief system, key tenets of which are that the Austrian judiciary doesn't really outsource prisoner detention to Romania and that Hitler wasn't Austrian.
Umleitungsprechen (Ger. lit. diversion-speak): Although equally concise, "spin" has been overused; this meaning is identical.
Derrieretude (Fr. lit. study of the rear): Any French advertising campaign.
John Griffiths-Colby
Tropboulo (Fr. lit. too many balls): One who acts misguidedly as a result of a surfeit of opinionated personal advisers.
Sourdgrappins (Fr. lit. deaf hooks): A person who resolutely ignores the fact that he has stayed in a top position for too long and grows bitter when this is pointed out.
M E Ault
Mundungwal (Ger. lit. estuary whale): A person who is unable to read maps.
Puckschlucken (Ger. lit. to swallow the puck): To bring proceedings to a sudden and unexpected conclusion.
Gesternsbrot (Ger. lit. yesterday's bread): A person whose popularity lasts only a very short time.
Weissbehaltener (Ger. lit. someone who keeps something sparklingly white): A person who buys new appliances, but then doesn't use them.
Nicholas Hodgson
Chiraccuser (Fr. lit. to accuse Chirac): A person who complains that his ostensible friend or ally is behaving in a selfish, cynical, arrogant and pig-headed fashion.
Parlertoureiffel (Fr. lit. to talk to the Eiffel Tower): An absurd egomaniac who exaggerates his or her status, achievements, etc.
Augenmist (Ger. lit. dung for the eyes): Bottom-feeding, reality-type TV shows.
Pulverkaffeekatastrophe (Ger. lit. instant coffee disaster): A feeling of sudden impotent rage and despair, as when the spoon hits the edge of the cup and spills coffee granules on all adjacent surfaces, especially if already moist.
Basil Ransome-Davies
Lattegonzo (Ital. lit. milk-crazy): Someone addicted to hanging out in places such as Starbucks, Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, and so on.
Geldvogel (Ger. lit. money-bird): An investor who constantly moves savings around to take advantage of optimum interest rates.
G M Davis
No 3921 Set by Margaret Rogers
Wanted: a new alphabet for kids, eg, A is for Afro, B is for Bumbag . . . etc.
To be in by 16 March. E-mail: comp@newstatesman.co.uk
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
