Words for food and drink that English does not have
What happens around the table that English has no word for: the sleepiness after lunch, the last drink before leaving, the bite fed by hand. From Italian, Amharic, Persian and more, each with its story.
- empalagar22 Oct 2026to be too sweet to finish — a pudding, or a person
- kuchisabishii8 Oct 2026the mouth's own boredom — chewing something because there is nothing to do
- sobremesa24 Sept 2026the unhurried time spent talking at the table after the meal is finished
- pålegg22 Sept 2026anything you put on bread — cheese, ham or jam: one word for the lot
- abbiocco17 Sept 2026the heavy sleepiness after a big meal — the food coma
- utepils10 Sept 2026a beer outside in the sun — a sundowner in the beer garden
- borravalópractice worda tip, literally money for wine
- goûterblind wordthe afternoon snack, above all the children's one at four
- gurshapractice worda mouthful of food placed by hand into someone else's mouth, as affection
- joothablind wordfood or drink that someone's mouth has touched, no longer fit to share
- kuidaoreblind wordruining yourself through extravagance on food
- na pososhokpractice wordthe last drink before leaving — one for the road
- noosh-e janblind wordmay it do your soul good — said to someone eating or drinking
- tamadablind wordthe toastmaster who leads a Georgian feast
- tretårblind worda second refill of coffee, the third cup
- txokoblind worda Basque gastronomic society, where members cook for each other