Perhaps the French were not acquainted with stress until they had to deal with English?

Then they would've just call "stress" "le English", no?

More likely, "l'Américain."

They have a word for it (la pression) but, as one might guess, that is more about feeling pressure, so no one ever uses anything but le stress for anxiety. There is also no easy way to use stress (to emphasize) as a verb, which was maddening in academia when I often found myself wanting to say just that.

I think one of the most maddening things about being bilingual is knowing there exists the perfect word for something, but in the wrong language.

There is also no easy way to use stress (to emphasize) as a verb, which was maddening in academia when I often found myself wanting to say just that.

Oh, thank god. I always thought I was just missing something obvious.

I think one of the most maddening things about being bilingual is knowing there exists the perfect word for something, but in the wrong language.

It may even be the point a person may describe himself as actually bilingual, no? Or at least one of the "big" point. When the precisely correct word, regardless of language, comes straight to mind?

OMG! this is late, but Kuma and Chile look so much alike! And also are cutie patooties!

No one in my office except for the guy who just graduated from college knew what an LOLcat was. Even after I showed them, they said they had never seen one! I am shocked! Also, sometimes I talk in LOLcat, and they must think I am crazy, not funny!

We haven't done this for a while-- what's the last thing that made you smile?

Mine: figuring out an easy fix to that thing that could have been very bad this morning.

Went to Target. None of the dresses there had enough structure to support my figure. Woe.

Now I will make lunch, continue cleaning, and complete a background check questionnaire.

A co-worker who is currently out on maternity leave popped in with her baby and her toddler, who got me smiling with his sudden obsession with the Goofy clock in his mom's cubicle and kept asking her, "Ma, time?" and she'd respond with the exact time.

No one in my office except for the guy who just graduated from college knew what an LOLcat was.

One of The Boy's cats is all black, and after I showed him I Can Has Cheezburger, he's started calling her Basement Cat.

what's the last thing that made you smile?

Other than Dylan's pictures that javachik posted and Noah-and-Grace pictures that lori posted?

One of my roommates left me a chocolate bar on my bed, with a lovely note. I hardly got to see any of my roommates in the past month, and she knew how stressed out I was, and wanted to help the only way she could. The chocolate was yummy. The note was even better (and will last longer [Edit: I mean, looking at it and enjoying it will be possible even when the chocolate is all history.]).

You know, it doesn't bother me to find out about the various Olympic "fake-outs". It's like Disneyland, everything micromanaged to best effect. I'm a little surprised at people's surprise, that they think the organizers wouldn't tweak the presentations to cover for perceived flaws. (I'm always suspicious of cute-kid shows anyway, especially when said cute kid is adorable as well as talented. I always suspect an untoward amount of stage management.)