sisu
Language: Finnish · [ˈsisu] · Pronunciation: SEE-soo
Pronunciation: Robertsilen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Meaning
stubborn courage past the point of reason — grit
The story
When Finland held off a far larger army in the winter of 1939, Time magazine explained the country to its readers with this single word. Sisu is what remains after courage has been used up. The English word that gets closest is grit.
The four rounds
- Which language is it from?
- Finnish
- How does it sound to native speakers?
- Everyday, and a point of pride
- Where would you hear it?
- Kilometre 38 of a marathon, in sleet
- What does it mean?
- Stubborn courage when all looks lost
How it went
Round three, situation, was where most points went.
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