mellufær

From mella (“whore”) +‎ fær (“capable”), probably originally in the meaning of "to speak a language well enough to be able to request the services of prostitutes" rather than "to be as capable as a whore". Today the word however only means "minimally capable" and usually does not evoke imagery of prostitution to listeners.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtlʏˌfaiːr/

mellufær (not comparable)

1. (informal) to have some minimum necessary amount of knowledge in a foreign language to be able to communicate effectively

   Æ, ég er svona mellufær í þýsku. ― Well, I can communicate in German.

2. (informal, by extension of the above) to have some minimum necessary amount of skill to be able to do something effectively

   Hann er mellufær á trommur. ― He can play the drums, but he's not exactly an advanced player.