Skum

Have you ever looked at a fire extinguisher in Denmark?

Madeira - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

No? Can I say that I’m not surprised?

Madeira - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

If you did you might be surprised to see that foam fire extinguishers don’t have the word foam on the sign above them

Madeira - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They have the word skum instead.

Madeira - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Scum in English is from the Middle Dutch word schum, which means foam.

Madeira’s part of Portugal, so here are some photographs of espuma.

Madeira - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

English; the language with more words for the same thing than any other language, apart from words for love and snow. Probably.

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