Favorite Words or Phrases

[garryknight]

As an addendum: I've just had a browse through my dictionaries and 'doobry' doesn't appear anywhere, although I don't have a dictionary of current usage. So I thought that maybe it was a local phenomenon. Then I did a quick check with Google and got about 3,290 hits, including a Usenet newsgroup called alt.doobry.

Perhaps the most relevant comes from here:

"Following my article about words like thingummy which are used as vague terms for something unspecified, another correspondent wrote to ask the origin of the word doobry — another synonym for a thingummy.

Jonathan Green’s Dictionary of Slang gives three possible spellings — doobrie, doobry and dubry — and says the word originated in the Army around the 1950s, and gained a new lease of life, thanks to the entertainer Kenny Everett, “who used it frequently in the 1970s-1980s”. But Jonathan Green supplies no etymology."

 

[LV4-26]

When I was young and I used to go to England every summer holidays (or quite), I heard young people of my own age (teenaged) use this word more than all the others : "reckon"
How much d'you reckon...
What d'you reckon...
I think I like it so much because it brings back good memories. I like the way they pronounced it.

In French, I just heard a few minutes ago on TV an expression which I had forgotten and which I've always found very amusing :
Avoir le trouillomètre à zéro
It's very unformal of course and the literal translation would be something like "to have the "fearmeter" on zero". It really means to be scared to death.
It's made up by using the word "trouille" which is colloquial for "peur" and adding "mètre" (like in thermomètre, parcmètre - parking meter - and so on.) Hence a "trouillomètre" would be a machine designed for measuring fear.

 

[CLEMENTINE]

Hello

When I was living near London, I loved to hear how people pronouncing the name of the airport Gatwick, you could easily know who was Londonian as all Londonians omit the "t" and say "Ga'wick" instead. I also like the word "wicked"

In Spanish I love the sound of the word "jabali" (a boar)

In Japanese I love the way people say "nande" (really? / why?) depending on the context the pronouciation is really different, as well asthe expression on the face of the person... You really have to see it to understand.

And I would finish with the French speaking part of Switzerland where teens always say "c'est trop laid" with their accent (you would hear something like "c'est tra laid"), that would be an equivalent of wicked or, it's crappy.

LV4-26, I totally agree, "trouillomètre" is a funny word and the expression is really amusing ...

Cheerio

 

[Carlos Martínez Riera]

When I was young and I used to go to
Avoir le trouillomètre à zéro
Hence a "trouillomètre" would be a machine designed for measuring fear.

Mais si l'on a le trouillomètre à zéro, on devrais pas avoir peur du tout, non? Mais peut-être les expressions suivent sa propre logique.
Carlos

 

[CLEMENTINE]

Cela ne va peut-être pas dans la logique des choses, mais il est sûr que quand le "trouillomètre est à zéro", "on n'en mène pas large"... Cette expression est apparement rentrée dans le langage populaire dans les années 40.

"Des pétochards (...)qui couraient sur les routes avec le trouillomètre à zéro" (J-P Sartre)

 

[NTFS]

Yadda, yadda....of course..meaning..and so on..
te gato

ei te gato i know where yadda yadda came from... i've watched this japanese manga "shaider" a monster always says those beautiful words... "Yadda yadda" LOL


Saludos
NTFS

 

[NTFS]

I like phrase from the song "Yo te voy amar" the spanish version of "This I Promise You". Especially the phrase:
"Sigo muriendo por ti
Yo te quiero asi
Sin tu amor en mi vida, mi vida
No se como podre yo vivir"

I also like this phrase
El amor es una mierda --> love sucks... LOL~!

 

[oona003]

I like these words :

English --> "Absolutely fabulous", "enormously", "relaxing"...

French --> "Avoir un polichinelle dans le tiroir" = be pregnant... i couldn't tell the letter-by-letter translation

Spanish --> "El amor es... un deporte muy raro"

German --> "kaogoumi" , sorry... i don't speak any German, so i may be wrong for the orthography...
Greek --> "skoulikomyrmigkotrypa", which meaning in french sounds a bit silly, but quite funny too = "Trou pour les fourmis"

In all these words, I like both the way it is said and also the way it's written...

 

[Whodunit]

German --> "kaogoumi" , sorry... i don't speak any German, so i may be wrong for the orthography...

Not bad.

It is Kaugummi:

Kau(en) = chew(ing)
Gummi = rubber/gum

Kaugummi = chewing gum

 

[o'clock]

Buenas noches,

A mi me gusta mucho: Like a cat on a hot tin roof

Me sorprendió mucho su verdadero significado en inglés.

Aquí en España, era el título (traducido al español literalmente), de una película de Elisabeth Taylor y todo el mundo le daba un significado morboso (sobre todo por lo de "tejado caliente").

Ví la película y no entendía la risita que provocaba el título. Pero ahora al saber su verdadero significado y acordarme de la protagonista lo entiendo mejor.

¡Ay Dios, que retorcida era aquella España!

Un saludo.

 

[mirandolina]

I like these words :


French --> "Avoir un polichinelle dans le tiroir" = be pregnant... i couldn't tell the letter-by-letter translation

The English equivalent would be "To have a bun in the oven"

 

[Markus]

My favourite English word is "boulevard".

 

[VenusEnvy]

English words that I find fun in pronouncing:
Ointment
Chafe
Superfluous
Kiwi

Spanish phrase that I find endearing:
Dar a luz to give to light to give birth

French word that I find fun in pronouncing:
ecchymose - bruise (noun)

 

[redwine]

mine is 'sinta'. another Filipino word for love [a lover,or a term of endearment, though it turns to be poetic o too much mushy but couples who are so much in love mostly use this]

as a term of endearment
Sinta, pakimasahe nga ang likod ko. - Love, could you please give me some backrub.


as a lover:
Naghihintay na sa labas ang aking sinta. - My boo is waiting for me [there or outside]

 

[LV4-26]

Is it worth waking up this old thread ?

Anyway... I'm watching this DVD (documentary about the making of the Alien franchise) and they keep using the word bizarre
As with many other English words spelt like in French, I just love the way the English native speakers pronounce the word "bizarre".

 

[araceli]

I like these words :


French --> "Avoir un polichinelle dans le tiroir" = be pregnant... i couldn't tell the letter-by-letter translation

The English equivalent would be "To have a bun in the oven"

Or " to have a puppet in the drawer"? Very literal one!

 

[meili]

Is it worth waking up this old thread ?

Yes! It is worth it!

My favorite word in Spanish is 'luna', which is moon in English. I just love the way it sounds, so smooth.. and loving.

I also love 'hasta sangrar'. It is just so STRONG, both in meaning and the way it is pronounced. I like the way my tongue rolls when pronouncing the 'rrrr'.

In English, I like the word 'credibility'.

In Filipino, I just love the native tagalog speakers say the word 'marikit' which means little or tiny (I guess! - sorry )

 

[sean]

azafata, Bernabeu, cicatriz, civilización, hombre, que sí, stalueo (hasta luego), vale

Y todas las paradas del metro de Madrid:
<bonbonbon>... Próxima estación: Bilbao... Correspondencia con: línea cuatro
Me gusta mucho la de Moncloa.

I also like that "ojo" looks like eyes and a nose, and you're supposed to pay attention when you hear it. And I like that "soy yo" is "it's me." In English "I am I" sounds real weird. "Muy" looks weird too. And I like that animals make different noises p.ej. guau guau, which reminds me that I like the word "guagua" in the DR, which is kind of a bus/van.

I'm sure there are more pero ya

 

[chica11]

Hi! I really like the words guacalá and the word ferrocarril (because I love rolling my R's).
In English I like words: Audacity and magnificent!!

Saludos!!

 

[zazie]

In French, I love the word "carrément," which kind of means completely but is actually pretty untranslatable. Sometimes I use it in English when I'm speaking to my family, who also know French.

In English, a few of my favorite words are spate, dearth, and fecundity.

 

[Merlin]

Yes! It is worth it!
In Filipino, I just love the native tagalog speakers say the word 'marikit' which means little or tiny (I guess! - sorry )

"Marikit" is also referred to the beauty of a woman. Like Dalagang "Marikit". But in some dialect like Pangasinense (a province in the Philippines known as Pangasinan), "Marikit" refers to single and young women. "Marikit" in tagalog is "Dalaga."

English Phrase: Count that baby and a foul
In Tagalog: Talaga?
In Spanish: Gracias!

I think Lancel0t have another idea on the "marikit" thing.

 

[Laia]

Hi mates!

In English, I love how "nevertheless" sounds. Also, "cooker" and "moaner"... they sound very funny... cucáá mounáá I like "lolly pop" too.

In Catalan I love "xiuxiueig" (whisper) and "assolellat" (sunny).

In Spanish, "burbuja" (bubble) and "jamón pata negra"... mmm...

 

[Tiger-Lilly]

I love the Irish phrase for saying hello/welcome:

'Cead mile failte romhat' - which literally means- 'A hundred thousand welcomes'. I think that's the best reaction I have ever received when visiting anywhere!!

I also love the English word 'safe'. Just the word alone instills a warmth into me! (And we used to use it as a way of describing something as good!)

My favourite Italian word (don't know many!) would be 'amore'.

 

[jorge_val_ribera]

When I used to speak German, I loved saying "wissenschaftlich". All these ssssssss and schhhhhhh !!

Haha, then you will love this:

tschechisches Streichholzschächtelchen

(=little czech matchbox)


I liked the German word deswegen (=because of that) a lot when I was first learning how to use it, but now it's become too "normal". Now I LOVE some very creative German words:

Ohrwurm (literally "worm of the ear", but its meaning is actually a "song that you can't get out of you head")

Warmduscher (literally "person who showers with warm water", meaning "comfort-loving person")

Anstandswauwau (literally "dog of the decence", meaning "chaperone")

Aren't they nice?

 

[Anastasia]

oh mio Dio! non riesco neppure a leggerlo !!è impossibile!!!(oh my God! I can't read that!!It is impossible!!!)

on "fox" (ok? si dice così?) I've seen "The simple life" with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie,well,they said all the time "that's hot!"and "that's really hot" and I love it!(in italian is "fico!"oppure "che figata",that's really hot=è veramente fico).

my French teacher always says the sentence with "quand meme" at the end, example:
tu pourras bien le faire eh, quand meme!!
but she ALWAYS says it!sometimes I want to kill her!!

I love the word "disgust"if you say it...very disgusted!!!

I love the name "Tinkerbell", my boyfriend always call me in this way.

 

[jemappelleK80]

i love the idea of the word:

frou-frou

in French, although the sound of the word isn't that beautiful. As for sounds:

tintinnabuler, choisissiez (imparfait vous form of "choisir"), volontiers, bouleverser, cueillir, vieille, ananas, pamplemousse, coquelicot, grincer, pétiller, c'est-à-dire, ours en peluche, chômage, autochtone, entretien, fauteuil, louche, piéton, toute-à-l'heure, puis, croquer, cédille, irrégulier, soleil, ce que, ....................

in English:
dumpling, syncope, MULTIPLICATIVE (seriously, say this word out loud, how can you not love it?), coulda-woulda-shoulda, academia, leisure (pronounced either way), lackadaisical, chitin, skosh, sockdolager, cretin

in Spanish:
perezoso, every word that ends in -mente (i know, there are a lot!), teléfono

in Italian:
cosa, sprezzatura

And I love the sound of spoken German and Portugese but can't think of any words in particular--those languages are way underrated sound-wise.

i think that's about enough, huh?

~K

 

[Anastasia]

ehm...in italian "sprezzatura"?...sorry,I'm italian but I don't know this word...are you sure? maybe "spazzatura"?

 

[Like an Angel]

I learn it 2 days ago: pamplemousse... it's funny

 

[jemappelleK80]

actually, sprezzatura is an english word of italian origin...so it's entirely possible that it no longer exists in italian! my bad!

~K

 

[VenusEnvy]

Katie: Hello from the DC/MD area!!!

actually, sprezzatura is an english word of italian origin...so it's entirely possible that it no longer exists in italian! my bad!

~K

What's it mean in English?

 

[jemappelleK80]

"Sprezzatura is an antique Italian term suggesting spontaneity, expressiveness and an easy, unselfconscious display of virtuosity."

Hello back from the dc/md/VIRGINIA area

(ps: sorry it took so long to respond!)

 

[sofiaramos81]

The funniest word in spanish: COTONETE !!!!!!!! (swab´s tradename) and of course: volquete, bonete, colorete, machete. Any word ending in "ETE" makes me smile =)

In english: Hilarious

 

[meili]

Been using this word for quite a while now. Came across it in Merriam-webster online.
confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time
Jeje!

 

[Josh_]

Mod Edit: This post has been merged to this thread from another thread started by Josh Atkins. Please use the search feature to look for similar threads before starting one of your own. Thank you.

Indite -- means to write or compose. I like this word because it is very uncommon, and always confused with indict.
Imbroglio – an intricate and complicated situation. This word just sounds cool.
Oubliette – a dungeon with the only opening at the top. Like the previous word this word is cool to say.
Rhubarb – a heated discussion. I like this definition of the word because you don't usually associate rhubard with arguing.
Zeugma – A zeugma is a figure of speech, or a rhetorical device, in which two different senses of a word, usually a verb, are used in a sentence. This creates a semantic incongruity. More at Merriam-Webster. I like this rhetorical device because it usually creates a humorous effect. examples would be:
He left in high spirits and a Cadillac.
She stole my heart and my money.
(Feel free to come up with some of your own zeugmas.)

Mnemonic – something that aids in memory retention.
Pneumonic – relating to the lungs
Gnomonic – a gnomon is that thing that sticks up on a sundial thereby creating the shadow. Gnomonic is the adjective of that.

I like the last three words, Mnemonic, Pneumonic, Gnomonic, because they look very different from each other, all start out with silent letters, yet they all have very similar pronunciation.

 

[Lydia1]

bookkeeping
woollen
because both words are fun to spell out loud.
"bee double oh double k double e etc"
"double u double oh double L etc"

I like the word 'slug'. it sort of rolls off the tongue.

 

[Mei]

Hi all there,

Here some words that I like to hear:

Definitely
Mischievous
Naughty
Daughter
Weird
Though
Chivalry

I like thouse words because it was dificult to me to pronounce them. I have more that I like but right now I don't remember.

Mei

 

[Sonriestar]

In english, I love the word fallacious (which means misleading/deceitful)
French: saying the phrase "je ne sais pas." It was the first sentence I learned
Latin: eheu (oh dear!, or alas!) and circumspectat (because of the hard c)
Spanish: the way the Dominicans say ya.

 

[blancalaw]

To me some of my favorite spanish words are
lechuga (like a chu chu train)
sonrisa (rhymes with my name)
juntos (just funny to hear)

In English I like the words...
I love you
I apreciate you
honey
and my personal name

All those are phrases that touch the heart.

 

[la reine victoria]

Some of my favourite English words are -

Precious

Perspicacity

Peaceful

Restoration

Graceful

Gentle

Delicious

In French I like croissant. nom-de-plume, l'heure du café, trésor and 'petit lapin'.

A phrase: Actually from a poem by W B Yeats - The Lake Isle of Inisfree'

Nine bean rows will I have there,
A hive for the honey bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
​

Don't ask me why, I just let my thoughts wander.

I wonder what a psychologist would make of our choices.

LRV​

 

[opsidol]

A mí me encanta la palabra murciélago. Es muy bonita y tiene un sonido tan suave....

También mis palabras rusas favoritas son действительность y зима. No sé por qué pero me gustan por alguna razón....

 

[*Cowgirl*]

My new favorite word is: gelatonous

I don't even know if its a word, but I love it!

It means gelatin like.

 

[Ducken]

My favorite English words are:

Brilliant
Cheers
Snarky (I really love to use and hear British words and expressions.)

Ethereal
Effrontery-- This is my absolute favorite word in the English language. Some synonyms are shameless and boldness, but the word effrontery just has a certain edge to it....

Mis palabras favoritas de español son:

arte
reloj
vela
sonreír con desprecio (to sneer)

Y me gusta la expresión:

De acuerdo

 

[kevinleihuang]

I do not have a large English vocabulary. What I use every day is just the common words and phrases. I tend to use "appreciate" and "dedicate" more.

 

[eleone]

My favourite words/expressions are:

Spanish:
¡Ya voy! (I'm always saying this ), cariño, sueño, despedida, enloquecer, disfrutar, ni de coña, anda que...

English:
I can't do that! (long story ), attorney, concrete, hurt, hesitate, what the hell?, oh my God/gosh, really?, actually, damn it!, be right back, laugh my ass off, even, shut up, shush, eternal, great, right, ramble on...

French:
Chercher, même, je ne sais pas, étoile, peut-être, joie, heureusement, mystère...

Galician:
Verdadeiro, cousiñas, lembranza...

Italian:
Presto, ragazza, in quialsiasi momento...


Those are the ones I can think of at the moment. I'll probably come up with more later, especially in English. There are so many words I love in this language

 

[Hakro]

I like words and expressions that sound like Finnish although the meaning is totally different. For example:

English: How many boys - sounds like in Finnish 'the dog went away'

French: Quel luxe - sounds like in Finnish 'one o'clock'

German: Nein - sounds like in Finnish 'I marry' or 'I make love'

Italian: Impianto - sounds like in Finnish 'a virgin gave'

Spanish: Me gusta - sounds like in Finnish 'we p**'

There are more...

 

[tvdxer]

Arabic (bad transliteration): jamil (beautiful)

Croatian: Ljubavi (love?)

 

[blueberrymuffin]

My husband loves the "th" sound in English. It is very similar to the Spanish "z" sound. He just loves the fact that he can pronounce it really well. So, he likes all the words that include a soft "th" sound.

 

[hess-chan]

I am quite fond of the expression "pants", used in a way to express your annoyance over something.

 

[Jda]

in English --> 'Approach' I don't know why but I like to say that

in spanish --> ' Hace mucho calor'

in italiano --> ' Arrivederci' ı always like that words to say

in German --> " gar nichts'

 

[Joyful]

What a great thread!!
I just love the sound of pretty much anything Russian or Italian - they are such musical languages!
I have to agree, anything with sh's in sounds sexy!
Before I learned Russian I loved the word 'Kalashnikov' because of the combination of K's V's and Sh's!
I also love it when Spanish people answer the phone and say 'Si, digame' It is so short and concise but sounds great!
Funnily enough my Dad's favourite German word was 'sind' as in 'wir sind' until he found out it wasn't spelt 'Zint' !!
I love it when French people swear and just string a whole load of words together. To my English ears it still sounds elegant even if the meaning is pure filth!
I like the way Spanish and Italian people call people girl as in 'bella bambina' or just 'chica'.