Schenkelklopfer
September 5, 2021
Germany has a difficult relationship with humor. Nevertheless there is a bewilderingly large number of words for a joke: Witz, Scherz, Ulk, Jux, Flachs, and Kalauer are just 6 of the many examples.
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Germany has a difficult relationship with humor. Nevertheless there is a bewilderingly large number of words for a joke: Witz, Scherz, Ulk, Jux, Flachs, and Kalauer are just 6 of the many examples.
The creativity of a language is largely defined by the quality of its insults. And of these, the German language has a great selection for every occasion and intensity. Especially for everyday swearing, there are some real gems on offer.
Winston Churchill did it – and so did former German President Christian Wulff as well as Thomas Mann, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. And Eminem, of course.
Granted, not everyone in Germany knows this sweet dish – at least if they live north of Swabia where Nonnenfürzle originated from. However, its hilarious name and backstory make it just to good not mention.
The phrase “einen Korb kriegen” is very commonly used in Germany to describe the situation where someone is rejected. Originally, this expression developed from a medieval custom.
The word generously ignores the fact that the placenta actually bears more resemblance to a steak tartare. Interestingly, the word “placenta” itself is cognate to German “Plätzchen”, meaning small biscuits.
You know why Schnapszahl is something like the perfect German word? Because it combines two of German’s greatest passions: the passion for booze… and the passion for order.
German loan words are used not only the French and Arabic speaking world, but also in distant places like Papua New Guinea, Kenia or Korea. First and foremost however, the English language is literally packed with them.
Backpfeifengesicht is a perfect example of creative insults that the German language has on offer. It is highly effective, yet innocent enough to not have you bleeped out.
Everyone knows that one guy you wouldn’t buy a used car from. I don’t mean like a convicted criminal. More that Moe Szyslak type of person. That’s what Germans like to call a “Schlitzohr”.
I remember birthday parties where we had to walk through our town and follow clues to find a treasure. I also remember my birthdays being in February and everyone having a cold the next day 😉
This blog is a love letter to the curiosities of the German language that give it its poetic and, at times, oddly humorous qualities.
The “German Is Weird” book is now available: order here!
