Language Lesson

Big Pharaoh finds the appropriate word, in Arabic, for the German politicians lamenting the pull-out of American troops from Germany, where they are no longer needed.

"Bagaha" is an Arabic word that has more than one meaning. Among its several meanings, this word is used to describe someone who hates another person yet complains when this person does something that might hurt his interest. For example, you might hate your neighbour very much but you start complaining when he leaves the neighbourhood because this neighbour brings some sort of business to you. You start to act as a hypocrite and say how this neighbour is so "special to you" even though you were just cussing him 2 days ago. We call that "bagaha" and that you are a "begeh" who is engaging in "bagaha."