The Greeks Had a Word For It: Words You Never Knew You Can’t Do Without

A light-hearted saunter through a sm rg sbord of foreign words that we don’t have in English, but really should.

Do you ever search in vain for exactly the right word? Perhaps you want to articulate the vague desire to be far away. Or you can’t quite convey that odd urge to go outside and check to see if anyone is coming. Maybe you’re struggling to express there being just the right amount of something - not too much, but not too little. While the English may not have a word for it, the good news is that the Greeks, the Norwegians, the Dutch or possibly the Inuits probably do.

Whether it’s the Norwegian forelsket (that feeling of euphoria at the start of a love affair)

or the Indonesian jayus (a joke so poorly told and so unfunny that you can’t help but laugh), this delightful sm rg sbord of wonderful words from around the world will come to the rescue when the English language fails. Part glossary, part amusing musings, but wholly enlightening and entertaining, The Greeks Had a Word For It means you’ll never again be lost for just the right word.