Word To Use Today: greng-jai.

This word is Thai, but we could really do with something that means the same thing in English, so perhaps we should steal it. 

Let's face it, we've already stolen the words bong (the pipe) and pad thai from Thai, so one more word won't make much difference.

Greng-jai is a complicated thing. It can be the reluctance you feel when about to ask a favour from someone, or the reluctance you feel in interfering in any way with someone else's behaviour, even when it's plainly wrong or even illegal.

Greng-jai is more or less the opposite of confrontation.

As this leads to all sorts of not-saying-what-you-mean, I suppose this is the opposite of effective language.

But it'd be a jolly useful word, all the same.

Word To Use Today: greng-jai. This word is Thai. Jai means heart mind or spirit and greng means fear or to be afraid.