East-Frisian | Low German, Frisian East Frisia, Germany

Moin moin!

Expression USED Frequently BY East-Frisians

(Hello) • The double-Moin is an expression of greeting a group of people, mainly used by natives of East-Frisia (North-Western Germany), as well as by the tourism industry. Unlike the single Moin, it's very rarely followed by a name.

"Bernd tritt in eine Bar: «Moin moin!» Seine freunde: «Moin Bernd!»"

"Bernd enters a bar: «Hello!» His friends: «Hello Bernd!»"

German Germany

Sich zum Horst machen

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everyone

Do something stupid in public.

"Da mich ich mich ja zum Horst, wenn ich mit der geblümten Badehose ins Schwimmbad gehe."

"I'll make myself into a horst if I go to the swimming pool with my flowery swimming trunks."

German Germany

Kniekehle

Word USED Very frequently BY Everybody

(noun) • It is the word for the back of the knee.

"Mich juckt es in der Kniekehle. "

"My back of the knee is itching."

German Germany

KiBa

Name USED Frequently BY Everybody

An acronym and simultaneously the name for a juice where cherry (Kirsch) juice is mixed with banana (Banane) juice. It's Ki from Kirsch and Ba from Banane that form KiBa. It's tasty and looks beautiful! First pour the banana juice, then the cherry to get a beautiful juice pattern.

"Ich trinke gerne KiBa."

"I drink gladly KiBa."

German Germany

Herrgottsbscheißerle

Slang USED On Occasion BY People from Swabia

(Holy shit) • It’s another word for „Maultasche“, a German dumpling, mostly spreaded in South-Germany, especially in Baden-Württemberg.

Hans: „Was isst du?“ Franz: „Herrgottsbscheißerle mit Kartoffla.“

Hans: “What are you eating?” Franz: “Holy shit with potatoes.”

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.

“Du solltest nicht immer den Teufel an die Wand malen, nur weil du ein schlechtes Gefühl hast—oft kommt alles doch anders als befürchtet.”

“You shouldn’t always paint the devil on the wall just because you have a bad feeling—often everything turns out differently than feared.”

German Germany

0815

Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone

Means something is average, not very special.

"This password is 0815"

German Germany

Haubentaucher

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody

An innocent way to admonish someone who's being stupid

"Du bist so ein Haubentaucher!"

You're such a grebe!"

German Germany

Wegbier

Slang USED On Occasion BY Adults, often men

(noun) • (way beer) • The last beer before leaving the pub. One for the road.

"Machst Du mir noch'n Wegbier?"

"Can you get me another way beer?"

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, 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."