boccob said:
Well, you know, in russian language there is no such phrase:"Are you ticklish?". We ask "Are you afraid of being tickled?". That's the typical definition of ticklishness, and i don't like it very much. English is much better in this case. Sometimes it leads to misunderstanding.
Interesting! In Italian there is a word for ticklish, but, I believe, people can also use an expression that translates as "I suffer (from) tickling."
I am writing this from memory and I may make mistakes, but it has always seemed to me that there was an unusual amount of tickling in Russian folktales. Although I say Russian, I could be talking about Ukrainians, Belorussians, or other groups. I am not sure. Again, I am writing based on what I remember.
I remember a story about wild women in the woods who waited for a man to come along so they could tickle him to death. If, however, a man was able to convince a wild woman to marry him, then he would be spared the deady tickling--and she would be a good wife to him. (The story does not say if she would still tickle him for mutual fun--but without killing him.
😀 )
There is also a Russian monster I remember; his long fingers were like wood (or were actual twigs from trees). He would say things like: "Come, little boy. Do you want to play a tickling game with me?"
I also remember something about an ancient religious group in which men tickled women until they passed out. I don't remember if they were Christians or Russian Pagans from the pre-Christian era. But I think this small group actually existed.
Whatever the case, I hope you have as much tickling fun in Russia as many of us do in the various countries represented on this board.
🙂