Category: Food & Beverage

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.

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!

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.

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.

Extrawurst

Extrawurst: When you receive special treatment or exclusive privileges, Germans will say you “get an extra sausage”

For instance, if a colleague gets a higher wage or more interesting tasks because he’s a personal friend of your boss, the rest of the company will rightfully accuse him of getting “Extrawürste”

Fettnäpfchen

Fettnäpfchen: When you make a social faux pas or unintentionally say something embarrassing, Germans will say you “stepped into the grease pot”

It’s what you might call a classic “Faux pas”. Like when you made that stupid fat joke in front of your overweight colleague. Or when you offered a cigarette to an asthmatic. 

Herrgottsbscheißerle

Herrgottsbscheißerle (“little god cheater”): An alternative word for Maultaschen (Swabian dumplings)

Italians have Ravioli, Slavs have Pierogi, Koreans have Dim Sum. And, most importantly, Swabians couldn’t even exist without their Maultaschen.

Aufgebrezelt

Aufgebrezelt: When you dressed yourself in an overly flashy or dolled-up way, Germans will say you are “pretzeled up”

Everyone knows that one person who is always dressed a little too fancy and always has a little too much makeup on—even in completely inappropriate situations.

Wirtschaft

Wirtschaft: You know that a language is awesome when the word for ‘economy’ can also mean ‘pub’

Back in the days, when I watched my father reading the Wirtschaftsnachrichten („economy news“), I honestly thought he was trying to get informed about new restaurants in town.

Saftladen

Saftladen: When a business is poorly run, Germans like to say it's a "juice shop"

Oddly enough, a company does not need to be a shop nor particularly “juicy” in order to be called this way. The term just refers to any company that appears poorly organized or unpleasant in any other way.