Pålegg

Meaning: Anything you might put on a slice of bread — cheese, ham, jam, egg, whatever — gathered under one tidy word.

Language: Norwegian

Literally: on-lay

Category: Everyday

Origin: Norwegian på ('on') + legge ('to lay'); the catch-all term for sandwich toppings.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

Pana poʻo — Scratching your head to help yourself remember something you've forgotten.
Friolero — A person who feels the cold far more than everyone else — always the first to reach for a…
Empalagar — To be overwhelmed by something so sweet it turns sickly — used of food, and of people who…
Puente — The day taken off to 'bridge' a midweek public holiday to the weekend, turning it into a…
Magari — One word doing the work of 'if only', 'I wish', 'perhaps' and 'you bet' — the tone decide…
Apericena — The evening drink whose accompanying buffet is generous enough to replace dinner altogeth…

Dugnad — Unpaid work done together for the common good — neighbours painting the building, parents…
Døgn — One complete 24-hour cycle treated as a single unit — what English can only say as 'twent…
Koselig — Warmth, intimacy and ease at once — a room, a meal or an evening can be koselig, and so c…
Harryhandel — The day trip over the border into Sweden to buy meat, sweets and drink far cheaper than a…
Matpakke — The plain packed lunch of open sandwiches in paper, eaten at your desk — a small national…
Takk for sist — A greeting that thanks someone for the previous occasion you met, acknowledging shared hi…

Live and let live — Be tolerant of others' choices and lifestyles.
In for a penny, in for a pound — Once committed to something, go all the way with it.
A cat has nine lives — Cats (or resilient people) survive many dangerous situations.