Ladenhüter
January 9, 2022
What do Lady Gaga’s Artpop album, Windows Vista and Chrystal Pepsi have in common? They were all gathering dust on the retail shelves without many people taking any interest in them.
The “German is weird” book is now available:
order here
What do Lady Gaga’s Artpop album, Windows Vista and Chrystal Pepsi have in common? They were all gathering dust on the retail shelves without many people taking any interest in them.
What’s going on in German bedrooms? Well, nothing too exciting, apparently. According to a survey by the market research company YouGov, Germans largely prefer the missionary position.
A toddler needs a little bit of puppy fat to really appear adorable. This sparks a feeling in us of wanting to pinch his well-fed cheek and say, “Was für ein Wonneproppen!“
Many people think that Germany is a nation of grumpy sourpusses who spend most of their free time demonizing their fate. True “Stinkstiefel”, in other words.
Have you ever witnessed a guy desperately trying to make a move on a girl who is at least 2 levels too hot and obviously not interested? Or a spectacularly unfunny comedian on stage?
Everyone knows that one lady who is always dressed a little too lavishly and always has a little too much makeup on her face – even in completely inappropriate situations.
We Germans are very straightforward people. We really don’t have a reputation for pretending. So how can it be that we supposedly fake something in our kitchen of all places?
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.
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.
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!
