Þetta reddast

(Icelandic) An unofficial motto that loosely translates to “everything will fall into place as it should.”

Illustration by Raissa Pardini

Universally relatable words from languages around the world — with no direct equivalents.

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Our Contributors

Raissa Pardini Illustrator

Raissa Pardini is an Italian-born multidisciplinary designer based in Glasgow, UK. She has worked for brands like Vans, Dr. Martens, and Fred Perry.

More Undefinables

Attaccabottoni

(Italian) Literally “attach buttons,” this is a chatty person who latches onto you to share long, meaningless stories in endless detail about their life.

Illustration by Raissa Pardini

(Japanese) A prank originating in Japan, done by a person inventing seemingly ingenious everyday gadgets that seem like a perfect solution to a particular problem, though are in fact nothing more than useless gags.

Illustration by Raissa Pardini

Brabbag

(Manx Gaelic) The pleasurable act of warming the back of one’s legs in front of the fire.

Illustration by Raissa Pardini

Antsafa

(Malagasy) Inquiries about things of which one is fully cognizant beforehand.

Illustration by Shivani Parasnis

Wantok

(Tok Pisin) People who speak the same language as you do and thus in a way “have some claim over you.” It translates as “one talk,” and usually includes people in your family, village, clan, or larger geographic area.

Illustration by Shivani Parasnis

Dapjeongneo

(Korean) Telling someone what they want to hear, even though you might not actually believe it, so as to avoid causing tension or offense.

Illustration by Jess Rotter

Qualunquismo

(Italian) An attitude of apathy, indifference, or disgust toward politics.

Illustration by Shivani Parasnis

Kilig

(Tagalog) The giddy excitement you feel when something romantic happens, either to you or someone else; the feeling of butterflies in your stomach when you catch your crush’s eye for the first time, witness a marriage proposal, or see your favorite TV show couple finally get together.

Illustration by Raissa Pardini

Ghelah-gahdah

(Gujarati) The silly, carefree nature of children, such as making faces or playing and joking around.

Illustration by Shivani Parasnis

Resfeber

(Swedish) The mixture of anxiety and anticipation before a trip or journey begins.

Illustration by Jess Rotter

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Words by Deidre Dyer, Illustration by Cookie Moon

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Words by Telsha Anderson, Illustration by Hisham Akira Bharoocha

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How a design hotel on South Korea’s biggest island is revitalizing its historic port district.

words by elaine yj lee, photography by Kim S. Gon

Undefinables

Attaccabottoni

(Italian) Literally “attach buttons,” this is a chatty person who latches onto you to share long, meaningless stories in endless detail about their life.

Illustration by Raissa Pardini