Information Research Weblog

I picked up a second-hand copy of a book I'd seen reviewed some time back, The meaning of Tingo, by Adam Jacot de Boinod - the subtitle tells you what it is about - "...and other extraordinary words from around the world". My favourite to date and one that I think ought to be brought into the English language is, from the Japanese: potto: to be so distracted or preoccupied that you don't notice what is happening right in front of you.

The English usage would be quite natural I think: "I was completely potto...", "Excuse me (on bumping into someone), I was having a potto moment...", etc.