Author: johannesweber85@googlemail.com

Wollmaus

Wollmaus: A dustball on the floor is called a “woolen mouse” in German

Germans spend around two and a half hours a week cleaning their homes. That doesn’t quite live up to their reputation as cleanliness fanatics.

Mahlzeit

Mahlzeit: To this day, there are people in Germany who greet around noon by shouting “meal” at each other

It’s an expression that I can hardly believe has survived into the present day because it sounds so utterly bizarre. Nevertheless, you still hear it from time to time, especially in larger companies.

Konterbier

Konterbier ("counter beer”): A beer that Germans are having for breakfast after a party night with the intent to ease their hangover

Germany is known as the land of great scientists. It is also known as the land of wild and rampant alcohol consumption. So unsurprisingly, some smart Germans have come up with great life hacks to keep your hangover in check.

Sitzfleisch

Sitzfleisch ("sitting meat"): “the ability to stay in a sedentary position for an extended period of time”

Just about everyone has made the experience that it’s not always easy to get a visitor to clear the place out. Especially when there’s still beer in the fridge. 

Klammeraffe

Klammeraffe ("spider monkey"): That’s how Germans used to call the @-sign and I really wonder why no one uses this adorable name anymore

In the late 90s, the @ sign was virtually emblematic of the Internet boom. Today, we use it primarily to tag someone in a WhatsApp chat.

Bergfest

Bergfest ("mountain celebration"): German has an extra word for “the chronological center of a stressful process”

For the Oktoberfest, Germans have to wait a whole year. So it helps a lot that there is a festivity that they can celebrate every week, all without being forced to wear Dirndl and Lederhosen.

Tote Oma

Tote Oma: There is a classic East German dish whose name translates to "dead grandma"

This one is a real GDR classic. It dates back to socialist times when many products were scarce and housewives had to try to put something tasty on the table for their family with the means at hand.

verschlimmbessern

Verschlimmbessern: German has an extra word for “making something worse by trying to improve it,” and I think every language in the world needs something like this!

If you haven’t had an idea of what “verschlimmbessern” means—just think about the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee in soccer that wiped out a lot of the emotions without really making the game any more fair after all.

Hundewetter

Hundewetter: When it's very unpleasant outside, Germans will say it's a "dog weather"

The shepherd dog is emblematic of Germany in a way that otherwise only socks and sandals are. Without a doubt, Germans love their canine friends. So it comes as a great surprise that this love is not at all reflected in their language.

Nacktschnecke

Nacktschnecke: A slug is simply called a “naked snail” in Germany

Have you ever heard the cliché of Germans being somewhat uptight? Well, that’s not true across the board. Especially, when it comes to nudity, Germans are stunningly open-minded.