Body & Soul
Inselbegabung: If you have great abilities in a specific area while your other skills are poor, Germans will say you have an"island gift"

Inselbegabung

Imagine being able to play Beethoven’s 9th Symphony flawlessly on the piano after hearing it only once, yet the concept of assembling an IKEA rack seems like rocket science to you.

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Maybe the most poetic word for a squint that any language in the world has to offer

Silberblick

The word refers to a slight squint that, depending on the beholder’s preferences, may well be considered to be kind of sexy and mysterious.

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Flitzekacke: If it's too boring for you to say diarrhea in Germany, you can also say "speedy poop"

Flitzekacke

Disclaimer: Better not read this before lunch. To all of you who are still with me, I will take you on a journey to the wonderful world of German diarrhea…

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Arschgeweih: A lower back tattoo is literally called "ass antlers" in German

Arschgeweih

The term Arschgeweih has been part of popular culture in the early 2000s – there was even an election for “Miss Arschgeweih” conducted by Germany’s biggest daily newspaper “Bild“. 

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Meerbusen: A gulf is literally called a "sea boob" in German.

Meerbusen

Of, course, there is a good reason for this. The word Meerbusen is a loan translation of the Latin “sinus maritimus.” The word “sinus” can refer to both a bay and… well… a breast.

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Hexenschuss: The German word for a sudden lower back pain literally translates to “shot by a witch”

Hexenschuss

Yes, it’s painful! And it comes without any warning… All it takes is one clumsy movement and you suddenly feel like an 80 year old crock who shouts out in ache every time you stand up from your seat

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Fingerspitzengefühl ("finger-tip feeling"): A fine sense of how to act in delicate situations

Fingerspitzengefühl

The word describes a mixture of empathy, psychological sensitivity, politeness, and eloquence that is needed unless you want to create an awkward atmosphere.

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

Sitzfleisch

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. 

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Stuhlgang: The act of having a poop is formally called “chair walk” in German and I’m not really sure if I think that’s beautiful

Stuhlgang

There is that bar in Berlin called Das Klo (“the loo”). Given the name, it’s not hard to imagine what it is: a toilet-themed drinking location where you sit on an actual water closet while enjoying your pilsner.

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Geheimratsecken: When your hairline recedes above your temples, Germans will say you are getting “secret council corners”

Geheimratsecken

Nature is very unjust when it comes to hair loss. Some guys will still look like a Monchichi in their 60s. Others get close to baldness even before their Abitur.

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German is weird: Fun Facts and Trivia about the German language

This blog is a love letter to the curiosities of the German language that give it its poetic and, at times, oddly humorous qualities.

German Is Weird: Crazy Words von Arschkarte bis Zielwasser - from "ass card" to "aiming water"

The “German Is Weird” book is now available: order here!

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