A word only used in english

My take on this (speaking as a native speaker of English who takes a generally descriptivist approach) is that these words are in the process of moving further and further away from mainstream English: they should really be regarded as loanwords imported from English into another language and adapted to the needs of the speakers of the other language.

(Such borrowing is a perfectly normal process in the development of most languages; what makes the pseudo-anglicisms noteworthy to us native speakers of English is that we are able to witness the beginnings of the transformation of words we know into novel entrants into another language, even though not all of us may realize what it is we are seeing. Additionally, as the Wikipedia entry notes, the borrowers of the term may also be unaware of the difference in their use of it compared with how it is normally used in the source language.)

As part of that transformation process, these words naturally begin to undergo changes in spelling, meaning, or both. Eventually, many of them will become changed to such a degree that their form will be unrecognizable, or only barely recognizable, to native speakers of the donor language, and their connotations will be known only to those native speakers of English to whom they have been explained. Once they have reached that point, they will be English words only in a historical sense.

(To pick up on one of the comments you made in your posting, I certainly think that the relevant Wikipedia entries need to point out the divergence from the usage of these words in Standard English.

I notice that you included touristic among your examples. This, to me, is a normal English word which I did not see in the Wikipedia list of pseudo-anglicisms. Can you point to a context in which the word is being used in a significantly different way to how a native speaker of English would use it?)

Common Foreign Words in English List A to Z 💬

ADDucation’s list of common foreign words in English list wasn’t easy to put together. English started as a Germanic language. Add a generous helping of old Norse from the Vikings. Lace it with Norman French and Latin constructions. Add thousands of words anglicized from other languages and the result is English as we know it today. “Loanwords” are words borrowed from another language and used “as is” so whether your audience understands the meaning of those common foreign words and phrases used in English is up to you. Foreign phrases used in English are often italicized so they are easier to spot.

• This common foreign words and phrases used in English list compiled by A C and last updated on Oct 28, 2022 @ 6:34 pm.

ADDucation Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort common foreign words. Reload page for original sort order. Resize your browser to display as many columns as possible. Click the ➕ icon to reveal any hidden columns. Start typing in the Filter table box to find common foreign words used in English inside the table.

Common foreign words	Source language	Entomology / Origin / Meaning	Trivia / Comments / Usage
addenda	Latin	A list of additions.
ad lib	Latin	Improvised.	One of the most common foreign words used in English to describe actors and politicians who go off-piste.
ad hoc	Latin	For a particular purpose.
ad infinitum	Latin	To infinity.
à la carte	French 🇫🇷	From the menu.
ad nauseam	Latin	To the point of nausea, to a sickening degree.	Trevor talked ad nauseam about his career.
addenda	Latin	A list of additions.
aficionado	Spanish 🇪🇸	An ardent fan.
agent provocateur	French 🇫🇷	Agent who incites others to illegal action.	Agent Provocateur is also a luxury lingerie brand name.
alcohol	Arabic	Originally “al-kuḥl” ancient Egyptian eyeliner, later any fine powder or distilled spirit or essence.	Alcoholic beverages include beers, wines and spirits.
alfresco	Italian 🇮🇹	Fresh air, outdoors.
alma mater	Latin	Former school (Latin “bountiful mother”).	My alma mater is the university of life, which does not award degrees.
alter ego	Latin	Second self.
angst	German 🇩🇪	Dread, anxiety.
ars gratia artis	Latin	Art for art’s sake.	MGM’s Leo the lion’s head is inside a garland of film with the motto “Ars Gratia Artis“.
au fait	French 🇫🇷	Familiar with something (French “to the point”).
au naturel	French 🇫🇷	Natural state, naked.
avant-garde	French 🇫🇷	Unorthodox, experimental (French “front guard”).
avatar	Hindi	Icon or representation of a person online.	You can often change your avatar on websites and in computer games.
baksheesh	Persian	Tip (Persian “gift”).
ballet	French 🇫🇷	Form of dance. From earlier latin ballare “to dance”.	French is the language of ballet, e.g. tutu and ballerina.
bete noire	French 🇫🇷	Personal annoyance, bugbear (French “black beast”).
blitzkrieg	German 🇩🇪	Sudden overwhelming attack (German “lightning war”).
bon appétit	French 🇫🇷	Enjoy your meal (French “good appetite).	One of the most common foreign words in English, probably because we don’t have an English equivalent.
bon vivant	French 🇫🇷	Lover of good life.
bon voyage	French 🇫🇷	Have a nice trip.	We wished Natasha bon voyage as she left to go traveling.
bona fide	Latin	In good faith, genuine.	John’s doctor was a bona fide expert in dementia.
bravura	Italian 🇮🇹	Performed with energy and skill.
cafe	French 🇫🇷	From coffee in many languages, one of the most common foreign words.	Cafés usually serve coffee.
carpe diem	Latin	Seize the day.	Made famous by Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society.
carpe noctem	Latin	Seize the night (this is not really in very common usage, but we loved the concept of seizing the night instead of the day!).
carte blanche	French 🇫🇷	Complete freedom, unlimited authority (French “white card”).	Ron was given carte blanche to choose a new truck.
sus belli	Latin	Pretext or reason that justifies or allegedly justifies an attack of war.
caveat emptor	Latin	Let the buyer beware.	Item sold as seen, caveat emptor.
chow	Chinese 🇨🇳	Food, “chow down” means to eat.	Many Chinese words used in English relate to food.
chutzpah	Yiddish	Gall, audacity.
cojones	Spanish 🇪🇸	Testicles, balls, guts.
cordon bleu	French 🇫🇷	Food cooked to high standard (French “blue ribbon”).
corpus delecti	Latin	The evidence required to prove a crime has been committed.
coup de grace	French 🇫🇷	A blow of mercy.
cul-de-sac	French 🇫🇷	Dead end (French “bottom of the sack”).
de facto	French 🇫🇷	Actual
de rigueur	French 🇫🇷	Obligatory
déjà vu	French 🇫🇷	Sense of having already experienced something (French “already seen”).	Déjà vu is one of the most common foreign expressions in English of French origin.
derrière	French 🇫🇷	Behind, bum, bottom, buttocks.
deus ex machine	Latin	God of the machine.
doppelgänger	German 🇩🇪	Ghostly counterpart of a living person (German “double-goer”).
double entendre	French 🇫🇷	Double meaning.
droit du seigneur	French 🇫🇷	Excessive demands on subordinate. Literally “the lord’s right” to take the virginity of a new bride.
élan	French 🇫🇷	Flair
enfant terrible	French 🇫🇷	A bad child.
en masse	French 🇫🇷	In a large group.	The crowd voted with their feet and left en masse.
entrepreneur	French 🇫🇷	Businessman. From 19th century “entreprendre”, a director of a musical institution.	Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey are famous entrepreneurs.
ersatz	German 🇩🇪	A substitute.
eureka	Greek 🇬🇷	Joyous moment of discovery.	Ancient Greek scholar Archimedes reportedly exclaimed “Eureka!” On getting into a bath Archimedes realised his body displaced the same volume of water causing he water level to rise.
fait accompli	French 🇫🇷	An established fact.	Losing the vote for president was a fait accompli.
fata morgana	Italian 🇮🇹	A striking mirage.
fatwa	Arabic	A legal opinion expressed by Islamic leader.
faux pas	French 🇫🇷	Breach of social etiquette, social blunder (French “false step”) or mistake.	Wearing a long white dress as a wedding guest was a faux pas.
femme fatale	French 🇫🇷	Highly attractive woman who means trouble.
fiasco	Italian 🇮🇹	Disaster
force de frappe	French 🇫🇷	France’s nuclear deterrent (French “superiour force”).
gauntlet / gantlet	Swedish 🇸🇪	Swedish (gatlopp “lane course running”). The pronunciation in English was corrupted to “gauntlet” (French gantelet “armored glove”).	Running the gauntlet (UK) or gantlet (US) was a form of punishment where the victim was forced to run between two rows of torturers. “Throw down the gauntlet” is to issue a challenge and “take up the gauntlet” accepts the challenge.
gemütlich	German 🇩🇪	Cosy
gestalt	German 🇩🇪	Form, shape.
gesundheit	German 🇩🇪	Health, bless you.
glasnost	Russian 🇷🇺	Openness (Russian “openness, publicity”).	When the Soviet Union crumbled (1986-1991), glasnost was one of most common foreign words used in English language.
glitch	Yiddish	A minor fault, bug, gremlin etc. (Yiddish “gletshn” to slide or skid) or (German “glitschen” to slip).	Neo experienced déjà vu as “a glitch in the matrix” when he saw the same black cat walk past a door twice.
grand mal	French 🇫🇷	Epilepsy attack (French “large illness”).
gringo	Spanish 🇪🇸	Foreigner (mainly Mexican).
gung-ho	Chinese 🇨🇳	Enthusiasm, zealous (Chinese “work together”)	Adopted as a battle cry by some American military units.
guru	Hindi	Spiritual leader.
habeas corpus	Latin	(Latin “You should have the body”) protection against unlawful imprisonment.
halal	Arabic	Meat slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law (Arabic “lawful”).
hoi polloi	Greek 🇬🇷	Rabble, plebs, the masses	Mixing with the hoi polloi is seen as mixing with people below your social status, the opposite of “hobnobbing” with people above your social status.
in flagrante delicto	Latin	Caught in the act (Latin “with the crime still blazing”).
in loco parentis	Latin	A guardian, in place of a parent.
in vino veritas	Latin	Truth is in wine.
ipso facto	Latin	By the fact itself. “A teacher, ipso facto, is in charge of his or her class.”	A chef, ipso facto, is in charge of a kitchen.
joie de vivre	French 🇫🇷	Joy of life.
kamikaze	Japanese 🇯🇵	From Japanese “divine wind”, referring to a typhoon which dispersed a Mongol invasion fleet in 1281.	Towards the end of WWII Japanese kamikaze pilots launched suicide attacks on enemy ships. It’s one of only a few common foreign words of Japanese origin used in English.
karaoke	Japanese 🇯🇵	From Japanese “empty orchestra”. today meaning singing to a backing track in Karaoke bars and pubs.	Karaoke is one of the most common foreign words, of Japanese origin, used in English.
ketchup / catchup	Chinese 🇨🇳	Originally a pickled fish sauce with spices and brine. Spelling adapted from Amoy dialect kôe-chiap / kê-chiap (鮭汁)	Ketchup reached the west via Malaysia and Singapore to England where ketchup recipes were mushroom based, then later tomato and spread to the USA via settlers.
kitsch	German 🇩🇪	Rubbish, bad taste.	Ironically kitsch can be so bad it’s good. Kitsch is in the eye of the beholder.
la dolce vita	Italian 🇮🇹	The good life.	Title of several films, songs and a perfume by Christian Dior, one of the best known and used foreign phrases used in English.
laissez faire	French 🇫🇷	Policy of non interference.
lingua franca	Italian 🇮🇹	Common language.
macho	Spanish 🇪🇸	Arrogant masculine man (Spanish/Portuguese machismo “manly”).	Randy Savage and the Village People spring to mind.
mea culpa	Latin	My fault.
modus operandi	Latin	Method of procedure, method of operating (commonly abbreviated to M.O.).	The suspect followed the same M.O.
moped	Swedish 🇸🇪	(Swedish motor och pedaler “pedal cycle with engine and wheels” )	One of only a handful of common foreign words from Swedish.
noblesse oblige	French 🇫🇷	Nobility obliges.
nom de plume	French 🇫🇷	Pen name.	Commonly used by writers to preserve their anonymity.
non sequitur	Latin	Something that doesn’t follow on logically.
objet d’art	French 🇫🇷	Literally “art object” in French.	An objet d’art is used in English to describe a small three-dimensional work with some artistic value.
off-piste	French 🇫🇷	Skiing in areas unprepared for skiing. Off the beaten track.	One of the common foreign words that make English fun. Used to describe actors and politicians who do not follow to their scripts or anything unexpected.
pandemic	Greek 🇬🇷	From Greek “pandemos” meaning “all the people”.	Sadly Covid-19 made ADDucation’s list of the worst global pandemics in history during 2020. Pandemic became one of the most common foreign words worldwide.
persona non grata	Latin	Unwelcome or unacceptable person.	Sally was a persona non grata in our club because she wouldn’t follow the rules.
piece de résistance	French 🇫🇷	Special food dish or outstanding item or event.
poltergeist	German 🇩🇪	A ghost that moves objects around or causes loud noises (German “noisy ghost”).
prima donna	Latin	A temperamental and conceited person.	Sophie found it hard to make friends because she was considered to a prima donna.
prima facie	Latin	At first view.
pro bono	Latin	Donated or done without charge.	The lawyer took the case on a pro bono basis.
pro forma	Latin	Done for the sake of form.
pro rata	Latin	Proportionally according to a factor.
pro tempore	Latin	For the time being.
punch	Hindi	Originally “paantsch” an alcoholic drink made of five ingredients; sugar, lemon, alcohol, water, spices or tea.	Punch is a popular party drink served from a large punch bowl.
pundit	Hindi	An expert, critic or commentator on a specific subject.	Punditry, by pundits, analyze sports, express opinions in the media, critique theater, food etc.
Que sera, sera	Spanish 🇪🇸 Italian 🇮🇹	Whatever will be, will be.	Spanish-like but also from Italian, both in 16th century. Made popular by Doris Day in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.
quid pro quo	Latin	Something for something else, often a fair exchange, sometimes used in sexual harassment cases.	Ron gave me his candy bar as quid pro quo for my soft drink.
quod erat demonstratum	Latin	As demonstrated (“Q.E.D.”).
raison d’être	French 🇫🇷	Reason for being.
rendezvous	French 🇫🇷	Agree to meet, meeting.
safari	Swahili	A journey, expedition.
saffron	Arabic	A spice, originally from “za‘farān” then later old french “safran”.	Saffron is the most expensive spice and food on Earth – but a little goes a long way.
salaam	Arabic	Peace from (al)-salām.	Salaam alei·kum “peace be upon you” is a greeting used by Muslims.
sang froid	French 🇫🇷	Cold blood.
savoir-faire	French 🇫🇷	Knowledge of what to do.
schadenfreude	German 🇩🇪	Taking pleasure at someone else’s misfortune.
shampoo	Hindi	Massage, rub (Hindustani “chāmpo” to press).	Humans, animals, cars and furniture can all be shampooed. One of the most common foreign words of Hindi origin used in English.
sine qua non	Latin	Indispensable (Latin “without which not”).
smorgasbord	Swedish 🇸🇪	Sandwich or buffet with variety of dishes or situation with many choices.	See also moped and gauntlet.
soupçon	French 🇫🇷	Hint of (French “suspicion”).
status quo	Latin	Existing state or condition.	Hannah didn’t like change and preferred to maintain the status quo. Also a famous rock band.
tempus fugit	Latin	Time flies.
tête-à-tête	French 🇫🇷	A private conversation (French “head to head”).
tour de force	French 🇫🇷	A feat of strength.
troika	Russian 🇷🇺	“Troe” in Russian means “set of three” and was used to refer to politicians and adminstrators.	A troika is a sleigh or carriage drawn by a group of three horses harnessed abreast before being used more generally as a group of three.
tsunami	Japanese 🇯🇵	A large tidal wave (Japanese “harbor wave”).	More Japanese words used in English…
tycoon	Japanese 🇯🇵	Business leader (from Japanese “taikun” meaning “high commander”).	The 72 year-old tycoon was one of America’s most generous philanthropists.
uber / über	German 🇩🇪	Very, max, possessing property to an extreme (German “over”).	Uber has become one of the fastest growing foreign language words used in English due to the rise of the Uber brand around the world.
vendetta	Italian 🇮🇹	Private revenge feud among families of murdered persons.	Vendetta is one of the most common foreign words in English of Italian origin.
veni, vidi, vici	Latin	I came, I saw, I conquered.
verboten	German 🇩🇪	Forbidden
vis-à-vis	French 🇫🇷	As compared with
wunderkind	German 🇩🇪	Boy wonder from the German “wonder child”.	A boy succeeding at an early age could be a wunderkind.
zeitgeist	German 🇩🇪	Spirit of the times.	2020 zeitgeist words; pandemic, lockdown, furlough, environment.

Now You’ve Read the List Take the Free ADDucation Quiz…

If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers Doug Larson

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Do you ever hear people use the word “only” in English?

More than likely this is one of those words that pops up often as it’s a frequently used one in conversation.

Have you struggled with trying to figure out where it should go in a sentence?

Today we’re going to look at how to use the word only as an adverb, where it should go in a sentence, and why it matters what you are trying to focus on or modify.

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We have a question about the word “only” and where it should go in a sentence.

Hello Lindsay,

I hope you are doing great and I want to give you a big thank you for your episodes! My English has shifted to another level since I started listening to your podcast. I would be very happy if you could cover my question in one of your upcoming episodes.

Recently while writing a business email I got a bit confused about where to put the word “only” in a sentence. An example would be “Is it possible to only offer…” as opposed to “Is it possible to offer for…..only.” I’m confused about the right way to use this word, and I am hoping you can help me.

Huge thank you once again and greetings from Germany!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best regards,

Vladimir Honcharenko

Looking At The Proper Usage For This Word

You will find that “only” is a word that you tend to use a lot in English.

It has so many different uses, and that’s why it can be a bit confusing sometimes.

When it comes to understanding how to use it here, you want to ask yourself an important question.

What are you modifying?

Only should be BEFORE what is being modified!

That is a great rule to use when you are trying to figure out where to use only in a sentence.

Consider what is being modified, and then it can make it easier to determine the right spot.

Let’s use the example in the listener question as a foundation, and we’ll make up the rest of the sentence as a point of reference.

“Is that possible to only offer one handout for each audience member?”

“Is that possible to offer one handout for each audience member only?”

Which one of these sounds better or more seamless?

The first one seems to sound best and flows better.

It’s a conversation that you can envision having because it sounds natural and is something that you would normally be likely to say.

In the second sentence, you hear “only” at the end of a sentence, but it sounds a little bit formal.

It might make you think of saying something like “for your eyes only” and therefore it’s not a natural sort of usage.

Today we are talking about using only as an adverb, and you will start to understand this particular usage which is quite common.

So what are you modifying?

That’s what you want to keep in mind here when you use only as an adverb—consider what is being modified.

How To Use It In Your Conversations

You have more than likely used “only” in your conversations to this point.

When we look at it as an adverb though, you want to really focus on what is being modified.

This is a shift in mindset, but really it’s all about breaking it down and looking at what makes the better choice in terms of word placement.

Let’s talk about how to use it today, and you will see where only more natural fits in a sentence.

Let’s look at a couple of examples so that you can get a feel for how this works, and then you can see how this works.

1. “Tara watches Mary only on Tuesday.” This is like a babysitter that only watches the child on Tuesdays, not any other day of the week.

2. “Only Tara watches Mary on Tuesdays.” This is saying not anyone else but Tara watches Mary on that one designated day.

3. “Tara only watches Mary on Tuesdays.” This is like saying that she doesn’t play with her or sing to her, she only watches her and that’s it.

4. “Tara watches only Mary on Tuesdays.” This is saying that Tara watches Mary and not any other child at all.

Do most native speakers follow these rules or use the word only in the right way?

This is one of those things that may not be well know, but really more intuitive.

It may be that native speakers have a feel for which version to use or where to put only in a sentence.

Sometimes it’s more a matter of saying it out loud before something clicks and you see where this word should be used in a sentence.

This may be a matter of trial and error, so don’t worry about making mistakes just know that you will get this eventually.

You may say it wrong the first time, but then you will pick up on it and likely won’t make that mistake again.

Perhaps stress the word after the word only, as that may work.

Think of what you are trying to stress and convey, and then it will be more obvious to you as to how you should be using the word.

Only is a versatile word and it can really help to accent a sentence in a number of different ways.

Always take a step back and think about what you are trying to convey, and then it will make sense.

It will become more natural when you sound it out and get used to using the word only more frequently.

Roleplay To Help

In this roleplay, Lindsay and Michelle are at a grocery store.

Michelle: “So what do you need?”

Lindsay: “Hmm. I only need pickles. I have everything else.”

Michelle: “”Only you would buy three jars of pickles every time you are at the grocery store!”

Lindsay: “Haha. That’s weird. I see only one open register.”

Michelle: “The line will take only five minutes.”

Do these all sound correct to you?

Do they sound natural?

See if they are all technically correct and natural sounding, as this is a great way to practice and see for yourself.

Takeaway

Only is an extremely dynamic word.

We talked about a specific use of this word today, and this is an important one to recognize and try out.

Observe others and how they use it, and be sure to listen for what sounds natural in conversation.

You can use only in a variety of different ways, and in this capacity it’s all about what sounds natural.

You can tell where it fits, and now you have some guidelines to help you in using this properly in conversation.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

One of the most interesting things about learning a new language is discovering the many beautiful and unique words that the language contains.

The English language contains a lot of unique words that sometimes have not real equivalent in any other languages. These untranslatable words in English may initially be confusing, but they are also interesting to learn (and
sometimes funny too!)

If you need a short break from memorizing lists of common words and phrases in English, you might want to look at this shortlist of untranslatable words in English and their meanings. Who knows, you might find yourself wanting to use some in conversation. If you do use them properly, you will definitely impress the native speakers and make them more comfortable around you. 

1. Cheesy

Meaning: False or trying too hard

This is an English slang word that is usually used to describe a person or an action that seems insincere or false. Something that is “cheesy” is trying too hard to be liked or likable.

For example, a “cheesy grin” is a smile that is meant to be integrating but seems too big and wide and fake so it just makes you dislike or regard someone with suspicion. A “cheesy romantic comedy” is a romantic comedy that is trying too hard to be cute or that has characters or situations that are too sweet and unbelievable.

2. Serendipity

Meaning: Happy accident

This English word is considered quite beautiful, and its meaning is
nice as well. Serendipity is the state of “accidentally” finding something that is pleasant or desirable.

The word was first used by the 18th-century British writer Horace Walpole in a folk tale he wrote about the “princes of Serendip”. These three princes were always making discoveries by accident, finding things they were not in quest of”.

Because of Walpole’s writing, the word “serendipity” evolved into “serendipity” and came to mean making a pleasant discovery by accident.

3. Gobbledygook

Meaning: Nonsense

Does this word sound nonsensical? Well, it literally is. Gobbledygook is a funny-sounding “nonsense” term that has come to mean unintelligible jargon or rambling.

The term is supposed to have come into popular use during World War II. An American congressman named Maury Maverick reportedly used it in a memo in 1944 where he banned the “gobbledygook language”. By this, he meant that people shouldn’t use too much-specialized jargon that couldn’t be understood by laypersons.

It’s thought that Maverick was thinking about the turkey when he coined this phrase, a silly, rather stupid-looking bird that made a noise referred to as “gobble” or “gobbling”.

So, if someone tells you to stop speaking “gobbledygook” they are basically saying that you are not making sense or are speaking nonsense.

4. Pimp

Meaning: Someone who sells women for sex, someone who is too flashy or showy

The original meaning of the word “pimp” was that of a man who was in charge of prostitutes. So, a man who sold the services of prostitutes. This is an old slang word, coming into common use back in the 1700s. 

Pimps traditionally dressed in flashy outfits, supposedly to attract attention to themselves and signify that they had girls for “sale”. That is how the word “pimp” also came to mean a flashy dresser. A pimp may be dressed fashionably, but also a bit tackily.

Lastly, the pimp has come to also mean just “to sell” or “to recommend highly”. So, if you pimp out your native German-speaking tutor to your friend, you are recommending them.

5. Hillbilly

Meaning: Rural dweller

This is a rather derisive slang term used by American English speakers to refer to people living in rural areas. 

It’s believed that it first came into common use back in the 1700s when Sots-Irish Americans began to settle the Appalachia region. It’s thought to be a mashup of the term “hill-folk” which referred to people who lived in hilly or mountainous areas and “billy” which was Scottish slang for man.

This slang word didn’t really use to be derogatory, but it has some unpleasant connotations now. If you call someone a “hillbilly” now, you are not just making a reference to where they live but also implying that you think they are poor and uneducated.

6. Brouhaha

Meaning: A commotion

A “brouhaha” is a rather silly-sounding English word that is used to describe a confusing or confounding situation.

7. Spam

Meaning: To receive something undesirable

The history behind Spam as it’s often used now is a long one. Spam was originally
the term for a type of canned meat introduced back in 1937. Though Spam has its fans, it was actually first developed as a way to find a use (and way to sell) an undesirable cut of pork, the pork shoulder.

Perhaps, in a throwback to the idea that Spam wasn’t quality or desirable “meat” but sold a lot, Spam started becoming slang for something that wasn’t really desirable or wanted but that there was a lot of.

For example, spam e-mail is all those unsolicited emails from businesses that you often find in your inbox. Sometimes these emails make up the bulk of your inbox – taking up space, hence they are referred to as spam.

8. Silly

Meaning: Light-hearted but foolish

This English word is a synonym for “ridiculous” or “foolish” but it’s not as harsh as those two words. If you call someone or something “ridiculous” or “foolish”, you are a bit scornful of them and the implication is it is “stupid”.

Silly, on the other hand,
has lighter connotations. Someone who acts silly is acting maybe a little foolish but in a playful way. Calling them silly means that you don’t consider their “foolishness” a problem but rather something a little amusing and even cute and endearing.

9. Facepalm

Meaning: To express embarrassment or dismay

This word basically describes a particular
type of body language. When you facepalm, you place a hand on your face, covering your eyes and the upper half of your face. It’s meant to convey embarrassment or dismay and taken to mean something like “I don’t believe what I’m seeing” and “I don’t want to be seeing this”.

While you can just perform the facepalm to get your point across, you can also say the word “facepalm” to mean you felt like facepalming. Either way, you are saying that you felt embarrassed over what you witnessed.

Facepalm as a word is actually new, though the gesture is old. The word was only

added to the Miriam Webster Dictionary in 2017.

10. Baloney

Meaning: Nonsense, I don’t believe you

This is another untranslatable English slang word that was originally just a word for a certain meat product. Baloney or bologna sausage was originally
a type of sausage from Bologna in Italy. It began being referred to as baloney when it was sold in pre-sliced pieces in American delis as sandwich meat.

While you can still get baloney sandwiches, baloney also has come to mean nonsense. So, if someone is full of baloney, they are speaking nonsense or foolishness and are not to be trusted. You can also say “baloney” if you want to say “I don’t believe you.”

11. Bamboozle

Meaning: To trick someone

This somewhat nonsensical sounding English word is commonly used as a verb and it means to either trick or confuses someone. It originally had criminal connotations and was used to refer to criminals distracting their victims in order to pull off their crime.

You can now use bamboozle in a funny or joking way to imply that someone got the better of you or tricked you. They don’t have to have taken something of value from you, but the implication is that they made you look slightly foolish.

Conclusion

Studying lists of unusual or unique words in English is a great way to
expand your vocabulary. Sure, you need to learn the meanings of the
commonly used English words as well as how to use them in a sentence, but you need to go beyond just the common words and phrases if you want to be able to hold real conversations. 

Finding fun lists of funny English words and phrases or unusual and untranslatable English words like we’ve compiled here can help you speak more like a “local” and not like a textbook. You’re also going to want to learn English idioms and expressions as well as slang words and even swear words (if only so you know your not accidentally insulting someone who doesn’t deserve it).

You should work with an online English-speaking language tutor to help you learn and understand untranslatable words in English. They can help you improve your accent and correct your vocabulary so you know that, when you use these words you will be understood.