This is where I list some of my favourite words. I think of them like stones found on a beach. Some are recent discoveries, while others are treasures I've cherished for decades.
Brotloße Kunst: German, Derogatory description for the pursuit of art. Literally means "breadless art."
Carapace: A tough exterior to protect soft insides. Think: bike helmets or turtle shells. But, it can also apply to ways we protect emotional vulnerabilities.
Gobsmacked: A feeling of shock. Often leaves one speechless. Always unexpected.
Insouciant: A casual lack of concern. Good word for describing dictators like Stalin or Hitler. Discovered it recently while reading Laurence Rees' 2021 book, Hitler and Stalin.
Klimbim: German word for junk. Re-discovered it while reading Walter Kempowski's Mark und Bein. (on page 201 in the Penguin edition). I can just hear my mother saying it. "Es ist alles nur Klimbim."
Sammeltassen: (German) Collection of mismatched teacups and saucers.
Schadenfreude: A German word used by English speakers. Means joy at another's pain.
Sehnsucht: (German) A yearning sort of like homesickness, but without a known cure. Sailors have Sehnsucht for the sea, and then at sea they have Sehnsucht for land. It might be one of my most favourite words.
Starosta: (Slavic): female term for a leader (male form: starost). My mom said they called her the starosta while in the Ural POW camp because she was older and could speak Russian. As a child, I thought of the word meant she was a 'star' and liked thinking that she could have once been such a bright little light.
Taphophile: Someone interested in graveyards and headstones. (Who knew there was a name for this!)
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