gezellig in Dutch which usually means “nice, cosy” can be used in an ironic way as well; its only the Germans who struggle a bit more with irony although some use it; they do have a sense of humour but its very physical and earthy (they like Laurel and Hardy).
There are even better ones and explanations In the comments (especially with the Grauniad’s new software finally being å æ and ø friendly (10 years after PV had this :laugh_at:) The one about being in a tight corner and having your arse in the water is definitely nautical as that can happen when sailng a small boat.
one chap mentioned the læ which the side of the boat opposite to the wind; the word “lee” is used in English and it is where a sailor would go to piss; as “pissing into the wind” is clearly unwise. In East Anglian and Estuary English (near the southern North Sea coastal areas) that word becomes “loo” in the local accent; which is why we often call the WC the “loo” although it was once viewed as vulgar language; though today even the water authority writes about the loo (and a whole list of things not to put down it)
