LOANWORDS
From the French for “summary,” this document listing your professional and educational background might help you land a job.
What is résumé?
“Acrophobia” takes its name from the Greek word for “summit”.
What is the fear of heights?
This craft involves using a small hook to create loops of yarn, forming everything from simple scarves to intricate doilies.
What is crocheting?
Invented around 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori, this instrument usually has 88 black and white keys.
What is the piano?
It’s a sovereign state composed of four constituent nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
What is the United Kingdom?
Borrowed from German for “children’s garden,” this place is known for finger painting, playtime, and naptime.
What is kindergarten?
“Agoraphobia,” from the Greek for “marketplace,”
What is the fear of public/open spaces?
A centuries-old Japanese paper-folding art form, its name literally translates to “folding paper.”
What is origami?
This brass instrument uses a slide instead of valves and features prominently in jazz ensembles and marching bands.
What is the trombone?
Known for dramatic fjords and the midnight sun, this Scandinavian country has Oslo as its capital.
What is Norway?
A Japanese term for a large, often destructive ocean wave, it’s also used figuratively to describe any overwhelming surge.
What is a tsunami?
“Coulrophobia” causes anxiety at the sight of these performers
What is the fear of clowns?
Using an assortment of knots to create patterned textiles, this craft was big in the 1970s and has recently had a bohemian-style resurgence in home décor.
What is macramé?
Strummed in Hawaii for its bright, cheerful sound, this four-stringed instrument was adapted from a Portuguese machete.
What is the ukulele?
Famed for its neutrality and watchmaking, this Alpine confederation has four national languages, including French and German.
What is Switzerland?
Originally from Spanish, this name for a small appetizer or snack is often served with drinks in bars across Spain.
What are tapas?
“Triskaidekaphobia” is the superstition-fueled fear of this number.
What is the fear of the number 13?
From the French for “cutting out,” this decorative technique involves gluing paper cutouts onto surfaces, then coating them with varnish.
What is decoupage?
Used in North Indian classical music, this long-necked, plucked string instrument has resonating gourds and movable frets that produce its signature drone.
What is the sitar?
This tiny, landlocked principality between Switzerland and Austria boasts fewer than 40,000 residents.
What is Liechtenstein?
Made up of the German words for “harm” and “joy,” it describes taking pleasure in another person’s misfortune.
What is schadenfreude?
Ironically, “hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia” is the unwieldy term for this particular fear.
What is the fear of long words?
A delicate paper art also known as paper filigree, it involves rolling thin strips of paper into coils and shaping them to form decorative designs.
What is quilling?
A short-necked, fretless lute integral to Arabic and Turkish music, it’s known for its warm, resonant tone.
What is the oud?
Founded in 301 A.D. by a stonecutter from the island of Rab, this enclaved microstate is considered Europe’s oldest republic and is completely surrounded by Italy.
What is San Marino?