Customer Reviews

In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I grew up around my Japanese-speaking mother, she often used the phrase "yoko meshi" when she would get particularly frustrated about having to speak English. Only in hindsight do I see that she was using a particularly Japanese expression of linguistic frustration. This is one of the 250-plus words and phrases that language expert Christopher J. Moore has compiled from around the world that do not have a simple translation in English. Yet what they do convey are life experiences with which we Americans can relate.

Words that originate within one culture might as easily have been produced by another at any time. But often one culture may recognize a more immediate need for a word to express an emotion or situation. Consequently there are inconsistencies in how we describe commonalties we have in the human experience. And then there are the cases of words and phrases he introduces that seem specific to their native cultures such as the Czech word, litost, which is a state of torment only experienced by Czechs where they have the sudden sight of their own misery. Bottom line, languages develop in response to a culture's needs and interests. Moore has provided a nice, light tome that clearly expresses our cultural differences through words that truly get lost in translation. It's a great way to get a smidgen of what another culture may be like.

Believe me, I really wanted to give this book five stars. It is five-star quality in almost every respect. The only reason I didn't is, IMO, it gives unduly short shrift to Spanish. And of the handful or so Spanish words that are included, at least three are characteristic of Spain. It seems to me the author missed a great opportunity to introduce readers to the multifaceted Spanish of Latin America. I for one would have loved to see the word "carteluo" in there, since I have yet to find a satisfactory definition/description anywhere else. Yet try as I might to identify other shortcomings, that is the only criticism I have of this book.

Moore somehow manages to make up for all the deserving words that didn't make it. He shows particular deference to German and French, and I absolutely reveled in his selections from the lengua franca of the Deutschelanders. Surely my auto insurer wouldn't mind being introduced to a geisterfahrer or two. And the mental images conjured up by the words schadenfreude and korinthenkacker are the cure for a bad day. I also enjoyed the introduction, where readers are treated to a glimpse of the Finnish concept of sisu. The selection of Yiddish words is admirable as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if Reader's Digest ever asked to reprint it as a vocab builder.

The smiles, laughter and sheer enjoyment I get from reading this book make me forget I paid for it. I have used it as a reference book, a momentary diversion, and an extended read when I need something lighthearted. I think it nicely complements Ostler's scholarly, but no less entertaining, tome "Empires of the Word". Don't miss that one if you like "In Other Words". And Mr. Moore, if you read this review and ever plan a second edition of this book, may I suggest you consider including the Japanese word "mokusatsu." I've read that the inherent ambiguity in that word might have played a key role in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I just finished reading two books about language: "In Other Words" and a book called "Zounds!" that looked into the origins of interjections.

The author of "Zounds!" gushed about the illustrator of his book, remarking about how much they added. In reality, to me, they looked like hastily drawn cartoons on the same plane as Marmaduke, as far as drawing skill and wit were involved.

Now we have "In Other Words," which is filled with outstanding illustrations, and not a word about them from author Christopher Moore. The illustrations, done in some sort of African or Asian style of which I am unfamiliar, excellently and literally demonstrate some of the stranger phrases described in the book, and truly do add to the experience.

The book itself is an interesting and enlightening read. Moore introduces each chapter (divided by language group), then skillfully describes several untranslatable phrases from each one. Either Moore has an amazing grasp of many different languages, or he did some incredible research, because his writing seems to show a true understanding.

I was also pleased by the physical book itself. The pages are a heavy weight and it's a perfect size. It's not often the size and feel of a book deserve a compliment, but there you have it.

One complaint is that the book ends abruptly, with no final wrap-up or comments by the author. Even more than that, I would have liked to see a list of English words and phrases deemed untranslatable into other languages (Moore mentions the word "cool" at one point; surely there are many others).

But overall, worth reading - if anything, to understand more how diverse the cultures on this world are.

I only read about the chapter of Japanese, but I think it is a little bit strange. Some Japanese words the author chose are not used resently. So these don't express update Japanese. For example, the author refers about Japanese word, 'myo' , but there are expressed only one meaning. But the word is not used as that meaning. So from the point of Japanese view, it is hard to say that all contents of Japanese don't become reference, but at the same time some contents refer interesting point and make pointed remark. It was interesting to read about Japanese which are refered by foreign writer!

I'm a person who's favorite things include dogs, gardens, and....... words. If you also happen to be a word-lover you'll likely appreciate linguist Christopher J. Moore's translation of some of the world's most "untranslatable expressions". Yes, I know, translating untranslatable words does seem... peculiar. However, the book certainly makes for an intriguing read - and to show why, here are three of my favorites:

"esprit de I'escalier" [es-pree de less-ka/-iay] (idiom) French -- A witty remark that occurs to you too late, literally on the way down the stairs. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations defines esprit de l'escalier as, "An untranslatable phrase, the meaning of which is that one only thinks on one's way downstairs of the smart retort one might have made in the drawing room."

"korinthenkacker" [core-in-ten-cuck-er] (noun) German -- A "raisin pooper" -- that is, someone so taken up with life's trivial detail that they spend all day poohing mere raisins. You can spot these types a mile off -- it's that irritating pen pusher or filing fanatic whose favorite job is tidying up the stationery cupboard.

"tatemae" [tah-tay-mye] (noun) Japanese -- A term often translated as "form," but it also has the specific cultural meaning of "the reality that everyone professes to be true, even though they may not privately believe it." For privately held views, the Japanese have a different term, honne, meaning, "the reality that you hold inwardly to be true, even though you would never admit it publicly." The British civil servant muttering the reproach "bad form, old boy" over a drink in the club, may be expressing something very close to the quality of tatamae.

Ok, so you wouldn't likely use any of these to impress your friends. However, I believe there's benefit in understanding concepts from other culture. It expands the mind.

A beautiful little book of high production quality with enchanting engraving-style artwork to complement the subject matter. The author shows even the most ardent word lovers that although English has borrowed words shamelessly from other languages over the centuries, there is still room to borrow some more. With a wit that is sometimes parchingly dry he offers us words that DO translate, those that translate only with detailed explanations and even words over which he himself despairs. The book has been criticised as inaccurate. This is a pedantic response that might be justified if the work was being sold as a phrasebook or an English - (name-your-language) dictionary; but it's not. Instead it is a delightful little volume that can be browsed at leisure and kept tucked in the living room bookshelf to add spice to small gatherings. The humanistic tone of In Other Words makes its author's dignified response to his critics no surprise.

And try translating my title into a foreign language.

I read this informative little book while using a friend's bathroom (the perfect setting), and I must say, I enjoyed it immensely. I looked through the Italian, a language that I do speak, and recognized all the expressions except for "attaccabottoni," literally a button attacher, but figuratively, someone who sticks like glue to one, at a party for instance. Such idioms are fun, as well as important (I'll never forget trying to explain in Italian that commercial American bread [as opposed to Italian] is full of preservatives, and learning the hard way, as my friends were rolling around on the floor with laughter, that I had just informed everyone that American bread was full of condoms!). The proper word for food preservatives is "conservanti".

My German friend, to whom the book "In Other Words" belongs, had never heard of the word "Drachenfutter," but he thought it was hysterically funny (My favorite is "Katzenjammer" [literally "cats yammering"; figuratively "a hangover!"]).

Some other favorite Italian expressions that might have gone into the book:"Hai la faccia tosta!" (Lit. "You have the toasted face!" Figuratively, "You have more nerve than a brass monkey!" Or "naufragio," literally, "shipwreck," used in reference to a lousy party; or "bomba"--"bomb," which signifies a play or movie that is a hit (while in America, it means just the opposite). Admittedly, these expressions are from the 80s & 90s, so they could have changed by now, but they are still fun.

The Italian language is likewise fun the other way around, as Italian is translated literally into English. I once went into a park in Urbino, where a sign informed me in Italian not to bring dogs or bicycles onto the premises ("non introdurre cani e biciclette"). In the English translation, written below the Italian, the word "introdurre" was rendered literally: "Do not introduce dogs and bicycles!" (In other words I was apparently being instructed not to introduce Fido to Super Flyer!). And signs warning against carrying bulky objects on crowded buses are kindly translated into English as "Do not introduce molesting objects!" Only those who have found themselves crammed like kippers into a Roman 64 bus to the Vatican will know the irony of those words!

As for the English slang "cool," the closest I've come to it in Italian is "In gamba!" Literally "in leg" but figuratively "on the ball!"

'In Other Words" is not meant to be the last word on the subject, but rather, an entertainment. Enjoy it as such!

This book was disappointing. I love the idea, and certain entries were funny, but it missed some key words (at least in the languages that I'm familiar with).

I found that many of the definitions were overwrought; as in kvetchtz [sic] is "...the deepest of sighs for all the burdens and troubles of the entire world, past, present, and future." To me, its just complaining. Luftmensch is "...an impractical person who is overly dependent on the family for survival." Dreamer or space case would have been more succinct. And oddly absent are "nosh" (snacking), "goy" (non-jews), and my personal favorites, "oy" and "oy vey." Schmuck is also mentioned, but wouldn't a discussion about the other colorful yiddish insults be great? Let's talk about schmuck, schlemiel, schlimazel, and schmendrik! Taking this a step further, the author does make it clear that the connection to Judaism and the holocaust are central to the language, but mentions it no further. In this way, words like "shtetl" (village) carry a heavy emotional weight that connotes suffering and a traditional way of life, now lost to the modern world. Note for disclosure: I don't speak yiddish, so my commentary could be biased from my anglicized lense.

The same is true in French. Many of the words and phrases are obscure and I can think of a many off the top of my head like "moche" (aweful, bad, a shame...), "beauf" ("a person thought to be a combination of vulgar, unsophisticated, unintelligent, arrogant, uncaring, and chauvinistic, without any taste for etiquette or good manners." -Wikipedia). "Terroir" could have been neatly linked with "Appellation." And the surprisingly versatile word "bordel" could be explored (which, depending on the context could be a brothel or a mess, as in "c'est le bordel").

In fairness, each language alone could probably fill a whole book, so I understand that the author had to make choices and couldn't possibly include every interesting word or phrase. If you are looking for some insight into what these words say about the people who speak them, or some other connection to the linguistics, I would try something else.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book, but that enjoyment is being spoiled by the very high error rate in the Kindle version.
It looks like they scanned the paper book and OCR'd it, but then didn't check it for errors.
For a book about language to contain so many misspellings, incorrect words and incomprehensible bits of scan garbage is a real shame.
The book itself is a treat - it's just a bit of linguistic frippery, but most enjoyable - Amazon really need to sort out the electronic version though.

This is a wonderfully enriching collection of juicy words from cultures around the world. The author is to be commended for the breadth of his trolling in the waters of many nations to bring together this feast of insights - into national and cultural diversities, humor, pathos, and creativity, suggesting aspects of the human condition that we may have overlooked, and enhancing our appreciation of life in its infinite variations.

Here are but a few of the many new terms I learned:

Drachenfutter [drach-ern-foot-er] (noun) Meaning the "dragon fodder," this is the offering German husbands make to their wives-breathing raging fire at the cave entrance-when they've stayed out late or they have otherwise engaged in some kind of inappropriate behavior. A nice box of chocolates, or some flowers perhaps to mask the beer fumes. (German; p. 27)

ilunga [ee-lun-ga] (noun) This word from the Tshiluba language of the Republic of Congo has topped a list drawn up with the help of one thousand translators as the most untranslatable word in the world. It describes a person who is ready to forgive any transgression a first time and then to tolerate it for a second time, but never for a third time. (African - Tshiluba; p. 79)

Caim [kyem] (noun) The word means literally `a sanctuary.' It's an imaginary circle made around the body with the hand. It serves as a ring of protection. (Scottish/Gaelic/Irish; p. 112)

sian [shee-ern] (noun) Soft and sorrowful music full of enchantment, which can be heard coming from a fairy knoll. (Irish; p. 113)