A selection of wonderful untranslatables to add a certain je ne sais quoi to your festive conversations!
How about Fýrgebræc? This Old English word, pronounced FEER-ye-brak literally means fire break and is a wonderful way to describe that very particular crackling sound of an open fire – perfect for roasting your chestnuts.
Or, if your chestnuts are a bit hot, you may need to pelinti – that would be the Ghanaian (Buli) word for describing that strange process of moving hot food around so as to burn the whole mouth equally.
Lastly, I would like to wish everyone the Chinese state of Xingfu which translates into a very special kind of contentedness felt when you have everything you want in life and no looming worries. Now wouldn’t that be nice.
Merry Christmas!
Image credit: MikeTowse @ stock.xchng