Words travel fast

If you know it in English, then you know it in French, too: 12 loan words

Image: Daniel Fazio

Just in the same way as English speakers have adopted many foreign words into their daily lexicon, many English words have been adopted by other languages as well. The following 12 are loan words that can be heard all over the world in non-English conversations. Some are known examples, some will definitely surprise you.

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Germans can refer to their mobile phones as "handy". And, while this word is more associated with radio transmitters to English speakers, it is not unreasonable to call those hand-held devices, handies.

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Another word Germans borrowed from the English language, peeling is not used in the sense of peeling a banana, but rather is used to describe a body scrub or an exfoliator.

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The very elegant French language has adopted a few English words into its daily vocabulary, and parking is one of them. But with the added "le" article before, adding some charm to the term: le parking.

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Interestingly, France is one of the few countries that tried to translate and incorporate technology-related terms, but eventually gave up and started using the English versions. For a while, emails were referred to as "courriels", before reverting back to email.

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A language with roots as ancient as Latin, Italian lacks many words describing modern things. And one of these is the one used to describe this joyous outdoor activity, camping. Therefore, when Italians want to spend a night in a tent, or under the stars, they call it camping.

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Another word Italians have borrowed from the English language is "meeting", but in a business sense. If Italians get together more informally, they call it a riunione.

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When Spanish people talk about a good footing, they are not referring to a solid foundation, but (as it does in other languages as well) to a good jogging session.

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In Spanish-speaking countries, talking about autostop does not mean some kind of automatic shutdown or anything like that, but, instead, it means to hitchhike.

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Perhaps it has to do with the fact that this is a relatively new word and almost no other language has created a word of its own to describe it. But, in any case, most languages around the world use the English word to describe the mother of all digital networks.

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Danish people borrowed the word weekend untranslated from the English language and adopted it as their own because they lacked a similar concept when the five-day work week was introduced.

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Dutch is a very complex language to learn, but luckily for us, at least some of its words are borrowed from simpler languages, like English. The Dutch word for women’s tights is, simply, panty.

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The Japanese have a word for white-collared salaried workers that is pronounced sarariman. If this word sounds oddly similar to "salary man", it’s because it is a loan word from the English language, partly modified for an easier adaptation into the Japanese language.

You name it!

What’s in a name? A whole lot of quirky sayings, it turns out

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Ever blurted out, "for Pete’s sake!" without knowing who Pete is? You’re not alone. Our language is full of expressions that borrow names to make a point, crack a joke, or politely curse. From daydreamers and show-offs to mystery women and psychological slip-ups, these idioms appear in everyday conversation, often without much thought. But once you notice them, they’re impossible to ignore. So, let’s meet the characters hiding in plain sight!

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Poor Pete really can’t catch a break, huh? We call on him whenever we’re frustrated, flustered, or just fed up—usually without knowing who he is.

Most likely, "for Pete’s sake" popped up as a polite alternative to "for God’s sake," allowing people to vent without taking God’s name in vain. It has been in use since at least the early 1900s and still serves its purpose when your keys go missing or your computer freezes mid-email.

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You’re halfway through folding laundry when you suddenly imagine accepting a Nobel Prize. Sound familiar? That’s a Walter Mitty moment.

The phrase comes from James Thurber’s 1939 short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, about a mild-mannered man who escapes his ordinary life through vivid daydreams. Today, it describes someone with big fantasies tucked inside a very ordinary life.

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If someone’s taking the Mickey out of you, there’s no need to get defensive—it just means they’re teasing. It’s British slang for good-natured ribbing, like when a friend jokes about your loud Hawaiian shirt. The phrase likely comes from Cockney rhyming slang: "Mickey Bliss." Confusing? Maybe. But the meaning is simple—it’s all in good fun.

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Ah, the Midas touch—something we all wish we had when investing or buying lottery tickets. King Midas, from Greek mythology, could turn anything he touched into gold. In modern talk, someone with the Midas touch just can’t seem to fail—business deals, side hustles, even daily tasks. Everything they touch flourishes. Of course, Midas’s gift was also a curse: imagine turning your dinner into solid gold. No, thank you!

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Ever known someone who’s lovely at brunch and a storm cloud by dinner? You might have a Jekyll and Hyde person nearby. Naturally, the phrase comes from Robert Louis Stevenson’s story about a man with two sides: one refined, one monstrous. It’s a catchy way to describe mood swings or wildly different personalities in a single person. Are you one of these?

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Larry must’ve had a good thing going, because being "as happy as Larry" means you’re in great spirits. No one knows exactly who Larry was, but many believe it refers to 19th-century Aussie boxer Larry Foley, who was wildly successful—and rich. The phrase took off in Australia and New Zealand, and it’s stuck around ever since. Whoever he was, we owe him a happy one.

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Ever been offered something with zero actual options? That’s a Hobson’s choice. It comes from Thomas Hobson, a 17th-century English stable owner who gave customers only one horse: take it or leave it. The term has come to mean any situation where you aren’t really given a choice—there’s only one road to take.

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Jack the Lad is the guy who saunters into a room like it’s his stage. He’s brash, bold, and often charming in that roguish, slightly over-the-top way. The term comes from British slang and tends to describe a young man full of swagger and mischief. Not everyone loves a Jack the Lad, but you always notice when he walks in—probably because he makes sure of it.

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When a woman’s name is unknown or needs to be kept private—like in a legal case—she’s often called Jane Doe. It’s the female counterpart to John Doe, a term used for centuries in legal documents. Though these names may sound generic, they serve an important purpose: providing privacy, maintaining anonymity, or identifying someone when no real name is available.

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Saying "I love you" instead of "I like you"? Calling your boss "Mom"? That’s a Freudian slip. Named after Sigmund Freud, the idea is that these verbal mishaps can reveal hidden thoughts or desires. We’ve all experienced moments like this, right? They often happen at the worst possible times—job interviews, awkward family dinners, you name it. Freud would probably raise an eyebrow and say, "Tell me more."