K is for Kibitz

K is Kibitz is one of my most favourite foreign words, from Yiddish 'kibitzer', a spectator who offers unwanted or unsolicited advice, which according to Wikipedia, comes from German 'kibitzen', to look over a card player's shoulder. It's very useful to have a word to put a stop to people who interfere when I am playing sudoku with unhelpful suggestions ... you know who you are. Also Kibosh, possibly from Irish but possibly also from Yiddish, meaning to put an abrupt end to some occurrence or some plan.

Linking back to the A to Z Challenge.

(Image Viktor Schufinsky)

J is for Jubilee

J is for Jubilee, from the Hebrew, is a biblical commandment observed every 50 years concerning ownership of land and slaves, although not observed for many centuries. It is also used by the catholic church and is linked to pilgrimage. Now of course it refers to significant anniversaries, for monarchs or marriages, though why 50 is a significant year and 49 is not remains to be explained. 

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(Images for the challenge from Wikimedia commons.)

(Street party in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee)

I is for Incommunicado

I is for Incommunicado, from the Spanish 'not permitted to communicate', originally referring to prisoners held in solitary confinement but in English the meaning as been extended to refer to people who voluntarily cut themselves off from others. It seems that communicating with other people is considered an essential part of being human. Many of the images that came up were people campaigning against the use of solitary confinement as a punishment.

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H is for Hummus

Food glorious food. Despite a reputation for having a bland diet Britain is full of foods that have arrived from other countries, and as such so many of our food words. H is for Hummus, nectar of the gods. It comes from the Arabic word that actually just means chickpea, and our use of Hummus is just a shortening of the phrase that means 'chickpeas with tahini'. My sister is a hummus fiend and sticks a dollop on the side of the plate at whatever meal she is having; I do come back from a visit feeling well nourished, it is packed with all sorts of goodness.

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G is for Glitch

G is for Glitch, from the German 'glitschen' or the Yiddish 'glitshn', meaning to slip or slide. I use it a lot at work when people come in and tell me that the tracking says their package is available to collect, when in fact it has been sent back out for delivery. I am guessing it is a word that came about solely because of the existence of computers; did life used to have glitches? I'm not sure it did. 

Linking back to the A to Z Challenge.

(Images for this challenge taken from Wikimedia Commons)

F is for Fiasco

F is for Fiasco, from the Italian. There are so many examples for fiasco: The Willy Wonka Experience, yesterday's announcement of yet another Tory politician's fuckup, the never-ending deforestation, but Wikipedia Commons came up with this image of people trying to fight food waste. Trying not to feel like modern life is one huge fiasco ... but it mostly is.

Linking back to the A to Z Challenge.

(I'll try and be more upbeat on Monday)

Lynne Reid Banks

 

I just read of the death of Lynne Reid Banks and memories rushed in on me of her novel The L-shaped Room that I read as a teenager and had a significant impact on me. There were two other follow up novels, extending the story of the same characters, which managed to not spoil the original relationships. There was a film made of the book that naturally she hated, I remember feeling annoyed by it too. It was just a nostalgic moment for me, there is nothing sad about the death of a 94 year old who has live a full and happy life. Thank you for the books Lynne.