Friday, May 20, 2011

Not a jayus — untranslatable words

Jayus

Indonesian – “A joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh”

matadornetwork.com #1

Bacheque

Lingala – [ba-check] Although the closest English translation of this African noun would be “con artist,” bacheque has a richer meaning. C.J. Moore describes it like this:

This is the man about Kinshasa who will sell your a car (especially when yours has mysteriously disappeared the day before), organize a night out on town for you or a tour of the local sights. Wearing a loud shirt and the best designer watch, bacheque serve a vital brokering purpose when the formal economy has dramatically broken down. They change currency, establish market prices and give the capital its characteristic feel

matadornetwork.com #2

No comments:

Post a Comment