Comparle

Portuguesepractice word

desenrascanço

duh-zen-rush-KAN-soo[dɨzẽʁɐʃˈkɐ̃su]

the art of wriggling out of a tight spot — improvisation

Closest in English: improvisation, resourcefulness, workaround. None of them covers it.

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The story

Desenrascar means to untangle yourself, and the Portuguese treat the noun as a national talent: the fix arrives at the last minute, made of string and nerve. Students in Lisbon half-joke that it is what they have instead of planning. English calls the same skill improvisation, with less pride attached.

How it went in the game

Contains the answers. If you want to play the word yourself first, leave this closed.

  1. Which language is it from?Portuguese
  2. How does it sound to native speakers?Informal, worn as a badge of honour
  3. Where would you hear it?A wedding cake saved with a butter knife
  4. What does it mean?Wriggling out of a fix with what's at hand

How it went

Round two, register, was where most points went.

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