Words that don't exist in English:

[LemonMeringueThreePointOneFour]

Alot
Eachother
Ect
Inbetween
Infront
Non
Thankyou
Que
Wether

Please feel free to add your own.

@MyrealnameisBernard

Cue. Que is people misspelling queue. I think I'm confused

Often, it's a mis-spelling of cue, as in:

"Cue some smart arse remark from him".

I wanted this to be purely a thread about words in other languages that have no literal English translation. Not another mumsnet sneering at spellings thread

I wsh there were different words for:
My brother in law as in my husbands brother
My brother in law as in my sisters husband

I spotted "she battered her eyelashes" the other day. 🤣

No to hot fat near the eyes.

I'd call that a bungee. In my husband's family "gribbly" means grated. As in "I'll gribble the cheese".

Ah, now to me a bungee is a much bigger elastic rope that braver souls than me might jump off a bridge holding on to.
I like the idea of "gribbling" the cheese though. Is that a dialect word from somewhere?

Thefartingsofaofdenmarkstreet

I love wallah!

Why?! It's hideous! It's meant to be "voila' which is French.

Yes, I know - its hilarious!

@Bunnyvenom

I wanted this to be purely a thread about words in other languages that have no literal English translation. Not another mumsnet sneering at spellings thread

Me too. I opened the tread in eager anticipation. Loving the language focused posts.

@MrsAvocet

I thought wallah was a real word from India. I'm sure I've seen it in books about the British Raj - a servant who makes the tea referred to as the tea wallah for instance.

It is, and that's what I thought the PP who posted it meant. Was a bit confused about why they were listing it as a word which doesn't exist.

Anyone know if other countries have words which distinguish these 'families'?
To an extent, in some slavic languages, a special word can be used to distinguish family that you have (or assumed to have) a genetic link to just "family" (who can be anyone close incl spouses and in-laws). Like "blood relatives", but a single word.

@Lunaduckdrop

Has anyone heard of a "gribbly"?. This is an elastic rope with hooks on the end and is used for securing stuff to a car roof-rack or suchlike. Only I'm not sure whether one of our family made it up!

I'd also call that a bungee - it's just a smaller version of the bungee cord used for bungee jumping.

@Toomanyradishes

I wsh there were different words for: My brother in law as in my husbands brother My brother in law as in my sisters husband

Yes! Also one for 'my husband's sister in law'.. as they're not quite your sister in law but it's a brain muddle.

@TheChiefJo

I spotted "she battered her eyelashes" the other day. 🤣

No to hot fat near the eyes.

This reminds me of when DS2 was little and wanted to play with my "eye straighteners". I eventually worked out that he meant eyelash curlers. He'd confused the function of those and my hair straighteners . Although he also used to try and "flatten" his eyelashes with the straighteners. When they were cold I must add! He wasn't allowed near them if they were plugged in!

I’m enjoying the disingenuous “of course wallah/wether exist, they’re in common use round our way”.

@Maskless

Can anyone please explain why, about 3 years ago, half the users of social media began writing "a lot" as "alot"?

And 'noone'.

The space bar is right there!

I no this is missing the point, but am I aloud to point out words that are words but not used in the right context ?!

Yes, in Russian there are approx 50 million words for inlaws. The mother and father of your daughter-in-law are your сватья (svatya) and сват (svat) respectively.

There are at least four different words for brother-in-law depending on whether you mean your wife's brother, husband's brother, sister's husband or wife's sister's husband.🙈

@Toomanyradishes

I wsh there were different words for: My brother in law as in my husbands brother My brother in law as in my sisters husband

There is in Urdu .

But thinking about it, not sure if it just brings a lot of division into the family.

Not in all families but people are treated differently depending on how you're related. Theres also a hierarchy depending on the relationships.

The fact that you can distinguish between your son daughter, and daughters daughter can cause a lot of division.

My favourite word that does not exist in English is German "Kummerspeck" - additional weight gained through emotional eating. Literally, "sadness lard".

@NameChangeWithACold

A bit off topic because you are focussing on spelling. But ...

I wish there was a word for the family you were born into (mum, dad, siblings) and a separate word for the family you now have (husband/wife, children..) I often what to make a distinction and saying 'my family' can mean either. I find it frustrating there is no word for family of origin - who may still b very much part of your life, and a separate word for the little family you live with now.

Anyone know if other countries have words which distinguish these 'families'?

I'd like a word for grown up children, too. To call them my children seems mad as they're adults now.

@SpangoDweller

Wallah

What's the issue with that.

Assuming you mean the Arabic / Indian usage?

@Toomanyradishes

I wsh there were different words for: My brother in law as in my husbands brother My brother in law as in my sisters husband

Me too! I met a woman whose gynaecologist was her brother-in-law and didn't get to clarify if it was her husband's brother, or her sister's husband. And I don't know which is worse to be honest!

@MagnoliaBeige

This thread is bonkers - half the posters are discussing whether an English word has an equivalent in another language, the other half are getting their knickers in a twist over spelling mistakes

Meanwhile while the dyslexics who are reading are scared to write anything trying to avoid mistakes.

The words I wanted to use were
Along, in case,

Why does English have so many spelling for the same words, cue & queue.
And words that are written the same but said differently
Live cable v Long live the Queen
The band Records a record.

@Andante57

I wish there was a word for a ‘present’ that someone gives pretending to be generous but really just wanting to get rid of an unwanted item.

There is. It's mathom. See how hobbits deal with this in The Hobbit.

@Toomanyradishes

I wsh there were different words for: My brother in law as in my husbands brother My brother in law as in my sisters husband

Yes, definitely! And words for the spouses of siblings-in-law would be useful too. I introduced my husband's brother's wife to someone the other day and ended up calling her my sister-in-law, which of course she isn't, but "my brother-in-law's wife" is a bit of a mouthful. I'd also like a way of differentiating real nephews and nieces from those connected by marriage. Why do we have "in law" terms for most other relationships but not those? Doesn't make sense. Actually the whole "in law" thing probably needs a bit of an update now that so many couples aren't married and there's nothing legal about the connection.

What's the issue with that. Assuming you mean the Arabic / Indian usage?

See what I mean?