German Germany

Mein lieber Herr Gesangsverein

Expression USED On Occasion BY Native speakers, rather older

(my dear Mr. Singing Club) • Used if you want to express that something is rather extreme. It is an outcry to certain situations. It translates word for word to "my dear Mr. Singing Club". I do t know the exact origin, but I always connect it to possibly extreme volumes and shouting or singing of male singing clubs.

"Hast du gesehen, welche Niederlage die Bayern im letzten Spiel erlitten hat?" "Mein lieber Herr Gesangsverein, das war aufregend."

“Did you see the defeat Bayern suffered in the last game?” “My dear Mr. Singing Club, that was nasty.”

German Germany

den Teufel an die Wand malen

Idiom USED Frequently BY Older people

(to paint the devil on the wal) • When we assume the worst of a situation before anything has even happened. It can be discouraged to say - don't anticipate awful things or they will happen.

"Kommt ein andere Krieg gleich." "Mal den Teufel nicht and den Wand malen."

“Another war is about to happen.” “Don’t paint the devil on the wall.”

German Germany, Switzerland, Austria

doch

Word USED Very frequently BY everybody

It means "No, you are wrong and I am right" in one word.

"Hier darf man nicht schneller als 50 Meilen fahren!“ "Doch!"

"You cannot drive faster than 50 miles here!" "Yes, you can!"

German Berlin, Germany

jwd

Acronym USED On Occasion BY Everybody

Short for "janz weit draußen" (well out there). Something far away, difficult to access because it is far outside.

"Der Laden ist jwd."

"The supermarket is far away."

German Germany

Verömmeln

Slang USED On Occasion BY Middle aged folks

To fail at something, to screw something up, to lose something, or to screw someone over.

"Ich wollte die Zündkerzen tauschen, aber ich habe es verömmelt."

"I wanted to change the spark plugs but I messed it up."

German Germany

Jubelperser

Expression USED On Occasion BY Mostly people who have been politically interested in the 60s

(cheering-Persians) • A claqeur, a person who has been paid to applaud or cheer for someone. Mostly used as an insult to insinuate someone either does not have their own opinion or would not have real support by the audience. The term appeared in 1967 when the Shah of Iran visited Berlin and had intelligence agents cheer at the road and beat up protesters.

"Das Publikum war voller Jubelperser. "

"The audience was full of cheering-Persians. "

German Germany

Alter

Word USED On Occasion BY Teens, young people

(old one) • Used to address a (usually familiar or close) person as you would call someone "dude" or "bro" in English, regardless of their actual age.

"Alles klar, Alter?" "Alter, was laberst du?" "Was geht, Alter?"

German Germany

08/15

Expression USED Frequently BY Everybody

Something made cheaply and in a generic way, in a way that this thing is not really reliable; stems from the 08/15 machine gun the German army used in Ww1 (users of this expression usually don’t know this)

"That is some 08/15 lighter, it usually gets the job done of lighting my cigarette "

German Germany

plemplem

Word USED Very frequently BY Everybody

Crazy, deranged, insane.

„Der isst Pizza mit Ananas!“ "Der ist ja plemplem.“

“He’s eating pizza with pineapple!” — “He's insane.”

Germany Germany

Sitzpinkler

Name USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(seat peeer) • A man who sits down when peeing.

"Der ist so ein Sitzpinkler"

"He is such a seat peeer."

German Germany

Weltenbummler

Neologism USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(world stroller) • People who travel the world, looking for adventures, without a specific destination. Welten means worlds and a bummler somebody who wanders around. 'Bummeln' is to stroll around, or wander around.

"Sie liebt es die Welt zu erkunden. Sie ist eine wahre Weltenbummlerin."

"She loves it the world to explore. She is a true Weltenbummlerin."

German Hamburg, Germany

Schietwetter

Slang USED Frequently BY Everybody

(Shitweather) • It's the word for the really shitty weather you encounter in the Northern parts of Germany - rain, more rain, and strong winds that even your best umbrella can't protect you from.

"Dieses Schietwetter mag ich nicht."

"This Schietwetter like I not."

German Germany

Späti

Word USED Very frequently BY Everybody

(noun) • (Late-y) • Little shops that sell snacks, alcohol, ice cream, chewing gum and random other things like milk or mulled wine, the list goes on. They are called Späti because they're open until late.

"Berlin ist berühmt für seine Spätis."

"Berlin is famous for its Spätis."

German Germany

Aprilwetter

Expression USED Frequently BY everybody

(April-weather) • It's not so much the weather in April, more so a concept of weather that changes within seconds: One minute it's sunny, and the next it's hailing. Even though it is mostly used in the month of April, it can be used any day of the year when the weather is super unpredictable.

"Heute ist ja richtiges Aprilwetter!"

"Such April-weather we're having today!"

German Germany

doch

Interjection USED Frequently BY Everyone

This word can be used in three situations. 1. In an argument where the other person says you‘re in the wrong. You‘d interfere with "Doch!". 2. It can also be used as in "nevertheless" in a sentence. 3. To underline your disbelieve.

"Ich glaube nicht, dass du zehn Schüsseln Corn Flakes essen kannst" "das ist doch viel zu viel!" "Doch, kann ich!"

"I don‘t believe you can eat ten bowls of corn flakes" "that‘s way too much!" "Yes, I can!"

German | South german Variation South of Baden-Wütttemberg, Germany

der hat grade Corinna

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(at the moment he has Corinna) • Corinna is a German female name, but here it is an alternative for saying that someone tested positive for Corona (Covid).

"Wo ist eigentlich Julian, arbeitet er heute nicht?" "Der hat grade Corinna."

"Where is Julian, is he not working today?" "At the moment he has Corinna."

German Germany

da liegt der Hase im Pfeffer

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(there lies the rabbit in the pepper) • It is used to point out the relevant bit or the cause of something.

"Eigntlich hatte ich einfach keine Lust zu kommen." - "Da liegt also der Hase im Pfeffer - es stimmt gar nicht, dass du keine Zeit hattest."

"Actually I just did not feel like coming." - "So that is where the rabbit lies in the pepper - it was not actually true that you did not have any time."

German Germany

Ostfriesennerz

Word USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(n.) • (eastern Frisians‘ Mink) • Ostfriesennerz is the name for these yellow plastic raincoats worn very often at the seaside while the weather is rainy and stormy. The name refers to the Eastern Frisians, who live in the northwesternmost edge of Germany and are often subject to jokes by other Germans, probably due to them historically having sometimes different habits. For example, they were not authority-loving sycophants and had their own tribes and chiefs but no duke.

"Bei dem Schietwetter heute ziehen wir am besten die Ostfriesennerze an."

"While weather is so crappy today we better put on our Eastern Frisians‘ minks."

German Germany

Krickelkrakel

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(noun) • (chicken scratch) • Krickelkrakel is handwriting that no one can read.

"Die Schrift kann man ja überhaupt nicht lesen, was für ein Krickelkrakel!"

"This writing is really unreadable, what a chicken scratch!"

German Germany

erdbeerwoche

Idiom USED Very frequently BY Young people who menstruate

(strawberry week) • To have one’s ‘strawberry week’ means that one is currently menstruating.

“Ich möchte heute nicht mitkommen, mir geht’s heute nicht so gut.” “Oh, was ist los?” “Erdbeerwoche.”

“I don’t want to come with today, I’m not feeling well.” “Oh, what’s up?” “Strawberry week.”