Mental Floss (where knowledge junkies get their fix) has a page on Facebook from which I have shamelessly stolen this link because it’s SO worth sharing. You need never run out of cutesy names for your spouse, children, pets, and best friends ever again.
1. “Mon chou”
French, meaning “my cabbage.”
2. “Schnuckiputzi”
German for “cutie pie.”
3. “Sötnos”
“Sweet nose” in Swedish.
4. “Meu Chuchuzinho”
Portuguese for “my little squash.”
5. “Moya Solnishka”
Russian for “my little sun.”
6. “Mijn Bolleke”
“My little round thing” in Flemish.
7. “Bogárkám”
Hungarian, meaning “my little bug.”
8. “Mi cielito”
“My little sky” in Spanish.
9. “Mijn poepie”
A quirky Dutch term for “my little poop.”
10. “Matakia mou”
Greek for “my little eyes.”
11. “Microbino mio”
“My little microbe” in Italian.
12. “Moosh bekhoradet”
“May a mouse eat you” in Persian.
13. “Mo Chuisle”
Irish for “my pulse.”
14. “Min guldklump”
Danish, meaning “my gold nugget.”
15. “Ma puce”
French for “my flea.”
Personally I am now questioning the sanity of the Persians and the Dutch.
Adding to the fun, here’s another link from Mental Floss with alternatives to saying a simple hello.
1) “What’s the craic?”
How they say “What’s up?” in Ireland. The craic (pronounced “crack”) is the news, gossip, latest goings-on, or the fun times to be planned.
2) “How hops it?”
Be classically cool with this late 19th-century slang for “How’s it going?”
3) “Ahoy”
Add a little jaunty excitement by getting into pirate mode.
4) [Hat tip]
Be the strong, silent type and forgo words entirely with an elegant tip of your hat.
5) “There he/she is!”
Make someone feel like the man or the woman of the hour.
6) “Ciao”
Feeling friendly and cosmopolitan? “Ciao” will set the mood. Add a kiss on each cheek for authenticity.
7) “S.P.D.S.V.B.E.E.V”
Want to write a letter with a classical Latin feel? Open with this abbreviation for Salute plurimam dicit. Si vales, bene est, ego valeo. “Many greetings. If you’re well, then that’s good, and I’m well too.”
8) “Salutations”
Show off your verbal dexterity with this gentleman’s greeting.
9) “Greetings”
Or keep it simple and use the word that means just what it says.
10) “Howdy”
Keep it casual, cowpoke, or get fancier with a full-on “Howdydo?”
11) “Aloha”
Bring a little mellow sunshine to your interactions by greeting the Hawaiian way.
12) “Namaste”
Start with a show of respect. This peaceful greeting comes from the Sanskrit for “I bow to you.”
13) “How’s tricks?”
You’ve got to smile when you dust off this gem from the 1920s.
14) “Breaker, breaker”
Open the conversation like a trucker on a CB radio.
15) “Well, look at you!”
Reminiscent of the sweet way your grandma used to express how impressed she was with you. Why not spread the love around with this opening?
And why not choose a random number from each list and combine the two?? It’s not like you have anything better to do on a Sunday, right? Well maybe you do. I don’t.
So – How hops it, schnuckiputzi? Microbino mio – well – just look at you!
The possibilities are truly mind-boggling. But that’s what Mental Floss is all about, boggles for the mind. And there you go. Don’t ever say I have never contributed to your brain scrambled weekend.
Breathing Space 