Sideswipe: January 29: Pigeon pool

Alan Gray of Henderson writes: "Could not resist taking these photos of a species adapting to the changing environment - global warming. Goes to show, those with the nuance to do what ever is necessary will survive, not just the strongest. Darwin would love this example. Two pigeons cooling off during the heat of the afternoon in St Heliers. Squatting in the water, not drinking it. Making good use of the bowl that a kind shopkeeper put out for passing hot dogs - now we have cool pigeons."

Words that can't be translated easily into English

1. Kummerspeck – German
Means grief bacon and describes the weight gained from emotional eating.
2. Hygge – Danish
A feeling of contentment or well-being based on a lifestyle of protecting yourself from the elements, eating sweets, and lighting candles. It's been popularised in English by a few books on the subject, and the examples make it harder to translate. For instance, drinking hot tea by a fire in your living room while listening to rain outside is probably the closest thing to Hygge imaginable.
3. Tartle – Scottish
The hesitation a speaker makes when he or she is about to introduce someone but has forgotten the person's name. It's apparently an onomatopoeia, and you will often hear people say "pardon my tartle" when it happens.
4. Verschlimmbessern -German
To make things worse by trying to improve them. Literally, "make worse" and "improve" as one word. Basically, whatever Rudy Giuliani did in 2020.
5. Bakku-shan – Japan
A sexist slang term for seeing a lady you thought was hot from the back, but then she turned around. There is no accompanying word for drunk men in suits roaming the streets of Tokyo all night.

Depressing tagline

Not enough diversity in Xmas cards?

One year Liz Robertson sent a Christmas card to a friend on the Gold Coast and the next day she got the identical card back from her.  "I had to do a double take as I thought it was the card I sent her.  It took a while to realise that we had both sent identical cards to each other, a million to one chance or the fact that we know each other very well, I'm not sure which?"