Author: Johnny

Kummerspeck

Kummerspeck ("sorrow bacon"): German has an extra word for “the weight you gain by eating excessively because you are feeling down”

I am sure we have all had our fair share of painful breakups. More often than not, the grief is so strong that it moves from the soul into the body and becomes apparent in the form of drastic weight changes.

Feierabend

Feierabend ("celebration evening"): This is how Germans describe the “end of the working day” in one beautiful word. I honestly have no idea how other languages get by without a term like this.

This beautiful word does not have its origins in the German after-work party culture, but was originally used for the evening before a public holiday, until it was reinterpreted in the 16th century.

Milchmädchenrechnung

Milchmädchenrechnung: When you draw a naïve, oversimplified conclusion that ignores key factors, Germans will say you are making a “milkmaid’s calculation.”

Your bargain just got pricier. You drove 120 km for a half-price haircut, then fed your savings to the fuel pump and a roadside bratwurst. That, dear spreadsheet romantics, is a textbook Milchmädchenrechnung!

Muffensausen

Muffensausen (roughly: "sleeve swishing"): A sudden anxiety that you feel before a challenging situation—like a test, a job interview or a date.

Imagine you have a very promising date—but instead of being full of anticipation, you feel strangely stressed, almost paralyzed. That’s the kind of anxiety that Germans call “Muffensausen”

Betthupferl

word for “a small piece of candy you are having right before bedtime”

Everyone knows these little chocolates that you sometimes find on hotel beds. That’s exactly what is called a Betthupferl. And it is certainly not an invention of the German Dental Association.

Muskelkater

Muskelkater: When your body feels all stiff and sore after workout, Germans will say you have a ‘muscle tomcat’

Nearly 12 million Germans belong to a fitness club. Many of them demonstrate an iron German discipline, never leaving the gym until they have completed their third set of selfies.

Flurfunk

Flurfunk: German has an extra word for “the informal gossip and office buzz that spreads quietly among coworkers, until everyone knows about it even though it’s not official, but turns out to be true in the end”

“To know something from the Flurflunk” is roughy the equivalent of the (equally great) English expression “to hear something through the grapevine.” It describes the “in-official” flow of communication inside a company or an organization.

Korinthenkacker

Korinthenkacker: If you are overly pedantic and always insist on absolute precision, Germans will call you a “raisin pooper”

Germans are said to be quite small-minded people who will break out in sweat if everything is not in perfect order. This is reflected in a plethora of German words for people with this character trait.

Elefantenrennen

Elefantenrennen ("elephant race"): That’s how Germans refer to a lengthy overtaking maneuver of two or more trucks on the Autobahn

German LKW just don’t look as badass as American trucks. Plus, they tend to block the roads with lengthy and completely out-of-place overtaking maneuvers just when I want to get home quickly because I have Flitzkacke. 

Balkonien

Balkonien: The proverbial destination you are traveling to when, in reality, you are spending your holidays at home.

While others fight for sun loungers in Mallorca, you’re mastering the art of sunbathing on a foldable Aldi camping chair between the laundry rack and the basil plant.