literally: “secret council corners” / meaning: m-shaped receding hairline
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. In many cases, the hairline slowly recedes until it resembles an M. That’s what Germans like to call Geheimratsecken.
The word refers to the Geheimrat (“Privy Council,” literally: “secret council”) that was first established during the time of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a college of councilors who were directly subordinate to the monarch and therefore could be trusted with his deepest secrets. In this context, the word Geheimratsecken alludes to the advanced age of the members of this institution—and maybe also a bit to the wisdom and trustability that is associated with a longer life experience.
But it doesn’t need any sugarcoating to put a gloss on a receding hairline. It perfectly suffices to say that many women find celebs like Jude Law or Colin Farrell very masculine with their Geheimratsecken.
