literally: “side jump” / meaning: extramarital affair
In Germany, women are in the lead when it comes to cheating. At least, that’s what a representative study from 2020 suggests. It states that 31 percent of women admit they have been in someone else’s bed at least once, compared to “only” 29 percent of men.
All in all, almost a third of Germans have had a Seitensprung at some point. The term originally referred to the leap of a horse in a lateral direction. Later, from the 18th century, it more generally described a deviation from a fixed norm. The Austrians were probably the first to use the term in the sense of a “break with morals” (19th c.). From there, this use spread throughout the German-speaking world.
Incidentally, the word “escapade” also originally referred to a horse’s sideways jump. Thus, the terms are related in a double sense. That’s undoubtedly interesting—though not really helpful when it comes to explaining your next Seitensprung to your partner.
