bestandwurstofgerman :: The awful German language http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 http://eatstatic.olivewoodstudio.com en WURST http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/wurst/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/wurst/#disqus_thread Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/wurst/ Well I can hardly write a blog called "Bestandwurstofgerman" without mentioning WURST can I? Germany has a spectacular variety of mouth-watering "sausages" as everyone knows. Thes...]]> Well I can hardly write a blog called "Bestandwurstofgerman" without mentioning WURST can I? Germany has a spectacular variety of mouth-watering "sausages" as everyone knows. These range from the FRANKFURTER from, obviously, Frankfurt and the NÜRNBERGER from, obviously Nürnberg in Bavaria. (Also avialable in all good branches of LIDL.) I'm reminded once when former German national football manager Rudi Völler's team performed really badly, Bild newspaper ran a vitriolic piece dubbing the team RUDIS WURSTTRUPPE or Rudi's sausage troops. Bit of an insult really. Also who can forget Austria's 2014 Eurovision winner Concita Wurst?



tags: food, football

]]> NIEDERLAGE http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/niederlage/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/niederlage/#disqus_thread Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/niederlage/ When it comes to the all-conquering German football team, who are the current FIFA world champions, NIEDERLAGE isn't a word that you'll hear very often, meaning as it does "defeat...]]> When it comes to the all-conquering German football team, who are the current FIFA world champions, NIEDERLAGE isn't a word that you'll hear very often, meaning as it does "defeat". I suppose its meaning dervies from NIEDER being low, or "nether", as in "nether regions" or "Netherlands" and LAGE meaning "situation" or "position". You might expect "victory" to be "Oberlage", but it's not. It's SIEG.



tags: football
]]> FURZ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/furz/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/furz/#disqus_thread Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/furz/ Right, I know whenever you start learning another language, it's always tempting to look up "rude" words in the dictionary. So say hello to FURZ, which means a "fart". It's not ex...]]> Right, I know whenever you start learning another language, it's always tempting to look up "rude" words in the dictionary. So say hello to FURZ, which means a "fart". It's not exactly rude but, hey, it's worth a laugh. I don't think Germans realise that for English-speakers on their wonderful motorway network, driving past an AUSFAHRT or "exit" will always elicit a snigger. Oh, and before you ask, the verb "to fart" is FURZEN. And while we're on the topic, the German for "old fart", as in a boring old person is ALTER KNACKER. So now you know.



tags: rude words
]]> ENGEL http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/engel/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/engel/#disqus_thread Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/engel/ So as it's Christmas, here's something you appropriate: an object that you might have on the top of your tree -- an ENGEL or "angel". Not to be confused with ANGELA So as it's Christmas, here's something you appropriate: an object that you might have on the top of your tree -- an ENGEL or "angel". Not to be confused with ANGELA as in Angela Merkel, the German KANZLER or "chancellor" (as in prime minister), who's someone you definitely don't want sat on the top of your WEIHNACHTSBAUM or "Christmas tree". Happy Chritmas!



tags: easy peasy
]]> BROT http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/brot/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/brot/#disqus_thread Sun, 21 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/21/brot/ That last blog entry about sausages has got me hungry, so here's the perfect accompaniment: a slice of BROT or "bread". Like Germany's sausages, the bread in the country is specta...]]> That last blog entry about sausages has got me hungry, so here's the perfect accompaniment: a slice of BROT or "bread". Like Germany's sausages, the bread in the country is spectacular and comes in a bewildering variety of types, flours and flavours. My particular favourite is any kind of ROGGENBROT or "rye bread", which is gorgeous with a spot of SCHINKEN, or "ham", some TOMATEN, "tomatoes" and perhaps a dollop of SENF or "mustard". Ooo and maybe a GÜRKE or "gherkine"> I also like the dark, almost black bread called PUMPERNICKEL, which has a rather amusing etymology. And if you thought it had something to do with breaking wind, you'd be right.



tags: food, football
]]> PAUSE http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/20/pause/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/20/pause/#disqus_thread Sat, 20 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/20/pause/ Football's finished today in Germany for the holiday period, giving players there their customary winter break, or WINTERPAUSE. That's because PAUSE means "pause...]]> Football's finished today in Germany for the holiday period, giving players there their customary winter break, or WINTERPAUSE. That's because PAUSE means "pause" or "break". Meanwhile, back in the UK, the English and Scottish leagues will be carrying on as normal with their busy Christmas football programme, with games played almost non-stop. The Germans always find this really odd and if there's one thing you can guarantee about Christmas in Germany, it's that there'll be an utterly predictable article in the papers about how odd it is that the British have no winter football break. As if none of their readers remember an almost identical article 12 months earlier. Before those very papers then proceed to report about everything that happens in those Christmas fixtures because they're secretly missing their football.



While we're on PAUSE, it's useful to know that a "half-time break" in a game of football is a HALBZEITSPAUSE. This word also reminders me how delightfully straightforward German spelling is. In English, in contrast, I can think of three distinct words that all sound the same but have very different meanings: "pause", "paws" and "pours". It certainly gives you pause for thought over the WINTERPAUSE



tags: football

]]> HUND http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/19/hund/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/19/hund/#disqus_thread Fri, 19 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/19/hund/ Right it's Friday night, work's finished and I am dog tired. Or as the Germans would say, I am HUNDEMÜDE, "dog" being HUND and "tired" being MÜDE...]]> Right it's Friday night, work's finished and I am dog tired. Or as the Germans would say, I am HUNDEMÜDE, "dog" being HUND and "tired" being MÜDE. I guess HUND is basically like "hound" but I have no idea why MÜDE is tired.



It's funny that HUND/hound connection as in a similar vein you've also got RUND/round, WUNDE/wound and MUND/mouth. But that's your lot for today as I am most definitely not feeling that inspired, or INSPIRIERT as you might say.



tags: spellings
]]> SCHADE http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/18/schade/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/18/schade/#disqus_thread Thu, 18 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/18/schade/ Well SCHADE means "shame". But as I've learned today, although English-speakers say "it's a shame", your Germans will just say "Es ist schade", as opposed to "Es ist eine Schade"....]]> Well SCHADE means "shame". But as I've learned today, although English-speakers say "it's a shame", your Germans will just say "Es ist schade", as opposed to "Es ist eine Schade". Which is a shame really as it would be a lot easier not to make that dopey mistake.



I'm also remined of a country road outside Munich near where Katja grew up that's fairly anonymous apart from one thing. Incredibly for Germany, which has a reputation for road surfaces that are as silky smooth as a brand new billiard table, this particular road is rutted, potted and basically a bit shit. But being the efficient Germans they are, a sign has been installed alongside the road, warning drivers of STRASSENSCHÄDEN or "street imperfections". The sign has been up for years, which surprises me as normally the country jumps into action over even a nano-sized dent in a road.



And related to SCHADE is of course the internationally known and loved word SCHADENFREUDE or the joy in someone's else misfortunes. What a shame there's no direct equivalent in English.



tags: roads,

]]> FEHLPASS http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/16/fehlpass/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/16/fehlpass/#disqus_thread Tue, 16 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/16/fehlpass/ After yesterday's abomination of GESCHWINDIGKEITSBEGRENZUNG, here's a great German word that's neat, simple and just doesn't have an equivalent in English. I'm talking about After yesterday's abomination of GESCHWINDIGKEITSBEGRENZUNG, here's a great German word that's neat, simple and just doesn't have an equivalent in English. I'm talking about FEHLPASS, which is used in football to describe what happens when one player tries -- but fails -- to pass a ball to a team-mate. A "failed pass" if you like.



You hear it constantly on German telly from football commentators and pundits, although given the strength of German football, it's a term that's mainly directed at sloppy foreign players.



In fact, you have to like German if only for the fact that football is simply FUSSBALL. None of this weird "futbol" nonsense as in Spanish. A "foot"is a FUSS. A "ball" is a BALL. Football's a simple game and so is its translation into German.



tags: football
]]> GESCHWINDIGKEITSBEGRENZUNG http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/15/geschwindigkeitsgrenze/ http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/15/geschwindigkeitsgrenze/#disqus_thread Mon, 15 Dec 14 00:00:00 +0000 Matin Durrani http://www.bestandwurstofgerman.net/2014/12/15/geschwindigkeitsgrenze/ Whoa, whoa, whoa stop right there. That is one helluva crazy word for "speed limit". Well BEGRENZUNG is "limit" and GESCHWINDIGKEIT " is speed. Don't ask me why. ...]]> Whoa, whoa, whoa stop right there. That is one helluva crazy word for "speed limit". Well BEGRENZUNG is "limit" and GESCHWINDIGKEIT " is speed. Don't ask me why. But, hey, why use just 10 letters when 26 will do? Who wants three syllables when seven is even better?



Katja thinks GESCHWIND is kind of like "swift" in English. But she's only trying to be polite for what is a truly daft word. I mean you'd think you'd want something short and punchy if you were a copper booking a driver for going too fast.

No, we're not having this word. It's long, it's ugly, it's got too many nasty consonants. It's going in to Room 101. Goodbye GESCHWINDIGKEITSBEGRENZUNG



tags: daft, Room 101
]]>