Expressing the Inexpressible

This year has left many of us at a loss for words. But sometimes words in other languages can be just what we need to express the inexpressible, and to make it sound more poetic, or funnier, or more memorable.

Eunoia has been a source of both enjoyment and comfort for me over the past eight months. The contraction and limitations caused by social distancing and self-quarantining can make the world feel smaller, but Eunoia reminds me how big it really is.

Note: The words in the photo are from a lunfardo dictionary. Lunfardo isn’t exactly untranslatable, but it does include one of my favorite expressions, “la concha de la lora,” or in English, “the vagina of the parrot.” It’s used as an expression of frustration or annoyance. Those emotions have been dwarfed by others in 2020, but the next time you spill your coffee or forget your face mask, let loose with “La concha de la lora!” and see if you don’t feel better.