Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
The Chooz nuclear plant was a French-Belgian cooperation project, which explains its location.
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German and Austrian Culture and Words ( to run away but also having fun with it before )
- Thread starter Silent_Water
- Start date
The Chooz nuclear plant was a French-Belgian cooperation project, which explains its location.
Silent_Water
Tribune
So, being a typical German "Klugscheißer" (= "Smart-Ass"), I was right anyway - as usual!
Obviously, I have to admit that it is not easy with us Germans because we usually try to explain everything in such a way that even the opposite of our first opinion could be true and certainly, we are never making any mistakes in our explanations!
One of the most used typical German sentences in many variations, which you can find on T-shirts, cups, stickers etc. during the last 20 years, is this one:
(In correct German: "Das kannst Du schon so machen, aber dann ist es eben / halt Kacke!")It means: "You can do/make it this /your way, and maybe it will possibly work, but it will be regarded as being 'shit' anyway!"
And it will be "shit", because it is ...
(the most usual German explanations for "shit" are following now)
a) ... not looking good!
b) ... not perfect!
c) ... not made for eternity!
d) ... simply not German!
Latest example for something, which Germans found "Kacke" is this method of attaching / fastening a cooling aggregat in a Tesla car:
If the most typical German Tesla car drivers ever find out who was responsible for this kind of attachment in the USA, the responsible engineer will probably be abducted by the German secret service and he will be burned on the stakes in front of the BMW headquarters in Munich - just for fun!
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Silent_Water
Tribune
On 3rd of October, the celebration day of Germany's re-unification, there was a report at the German "Tagesschau" TV news about a Belgian symbol dressed in honouring of the German unity, which I found really nice, friendly and funny at the same time.
One of Belgium's national symbols, the cult figure of the "Manneken Pis" was dressed in Germany's national flag's colors "Schwarz-Rot-Gold" (= Black-Red-Gold) :
In the report about this event, ...
... Marc Guebel, the vice-president of the "Manneken-Pis-Society" even said, that the German re-unification was really remarkable and outstanding because a new country was created in peace out of two different states and systems. In his opinion, Germany has still some problems but it is now even less separated and more united than Belgium with its two very different regions Wallonia and Flanders and the two different languages there.
One of Belgium's national symbols, the cult figure of the "Manneken Pis" was dressed in Germany's national flag's colors "Schwarz-Rot-Gold" (= Black-Red-Gold) :
In the report about this event, ...
... Marc Guebel, the vice-president of the "Manneken-Pis-Society" even said, that the German re-unification was really remarkable and outstanding because a new country was created in peace out of two different states and systems. In his opinion, Germany has still some problems but it is now even less separated and more united than Belgium with its two very different regions Wallonia and Flanders and the two different languages there.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
Manneken Pis, that's Belgium's Statue of Liberty!
Silent_Water
Tribune
Nooo! It is even to small to be called a "statue", I think.
The "Manneken Pis" is in reality so tiny that you only remark this little "Manneken" in his corner because of the many tourists in front of it, taking pictures.
Probably, the real Statue of Liberty in New York could hold it easily in one of her hands and ... hrm ... no, not a good idea for such a small boy who is not yet potty trained.
The "Manneken Pis" is in reality so tiny that you only remark this little "Manneken" in his corner because of the many tourists in front of it, taking pictures.
Probably, the real Statue of Liberty in New York could hold it easily in one of her hands and ... hrm ... no, not a good idea for such a small boy who is not yet potty trained.
Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
It is not the size that matters! It's the message!Nooo! It is even to small to be called a "statue", I think.
The "Manneken Pis" is in reality so tiny that you only remark this little "Manneken" in his corner because of the many tourists in front of it, taking pictures.
Probably, the real Statue of Liberty in New York could hold it easily in one of her hands and ... hrm ... no, not a good idea for such a small boy who is not yet potty trained.
Silent_Water
Tribune
Hm, the message is sometimes much bigger than expected.
I have just heard some "old" German songs from the last century and I remembered one which was a bit surprising for the client which was in those days the second national German TV station "ZDF" (= Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen). In 1979, they had bought a cartoon trick movie serial about the history of mankind from the national French TV and asked the most famous Austrian singer and composer of those days, Udo Jürgens, if he could compose a German intro song for these cartoons and for the children channel of this TV station.
OK, well, this is what happens if you give "a little job" to a contemporary musical genius: He made a progressive rock opera out of this intro, the text almost some decades ahead of his time and in some way, he misunderstood that job like Mozart might have misunderstood the "little job" with the "Magical Flute".
The Original Intro:
... and the text from 1979 could have made "our" Greta Thunberg really happy today:
Udo Jürgens: 1000 Jahre sind ein Tag
Weißt du wieviel Sterne stehen? - Do you know how many stars are in the sky?
Und wohin die Flüsse gehen? - And where do the rivers go?
Sag', warum der Regen fällt - Tell me why the rain is falling
Wo ist das Ende dieser Welt? - Where is the end of this world?
Was war hier vor tausend Jahren? - What was here a thousand years ago?
Warum können Räder fahren? - Why can wheels drive?
Sind Wolken schneller als der Wind? - Are clouds faster than the wind?
So viele Fragen hat ein Kind - So many questions has a child
„Ach Kind, komm' lass die Fragereien“ - Oh child, come on, leave this questioning
„Für sowas bist du noch zu klein“ - You're still too small for that
„Du bist noch lange nicht soweit“ - You are far from ready for that
„Das hat noch Zeit“ - That still has time
(4 x) Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag – A thousand years are only one day
Wie wird der Mensch zum Nimmersatt - How does man become an insatiable glutton?
Wer alles hat, kriegt noch Rabatt - Those who have everything still get a discount
Und woher kam die Gier nach Geld? - And where did the greed for money come from?
Wie kommt der Hunger auf die Welt? - How does hunger come into the world?
Warum kommt jemand in Verdacht - Why does someone come under suspicion
Nur weil er sich Gedanken macht? - Just because he's worried?
Ist man noch frei, wenn man nichts wagt? - Are you still free if you don't dare anything?
Ja, was ein junger Mensch so fragt - Yes, that’s what a young person asks
He, junges Volk, was soll denn das? - Hey young people, what's that supposed to mean?
Und leistet ihr doch erst mal was! - And you should work something first
Ihr werdet auch noch mal gescheit! - You will also get smart one day as the old ones!
Das bringt die Zeit - That brings the time!
(4 x) Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag! – A thousand years are only one day!
Ist diese Welt denn noch erlaubt? - Is this world still allowed?
Die Erde ist bald ausgeraubt! - The earth will soon be robbed forever!
Das Wasser tot, das Land entlaubt! - The water dead, the land defoliated!
Der Himmel luftdicht zugeschraubt! - The sky screwed airtight!
Die schöne Lüge vom Goodwill - The beautiful lie of goodwill
Das hübsche Spiel vom Overkill - The nice game of overkill
Und wann macht ihr die Waffen scharf? - And when do you arm and sharpen your weapons?
Wenn ich das auch mal fragen darf - If I may ask that, too
Das wird verdammt noch mal so sein - This will happen one damned day
Und wer soll uns das je verzeihen? - And who should ever forgive us this in the future?
Ich bitt' euch, fragt, solang' ihr seid - I ask you, ask, as long as you are here
Denn ihr seid die Zeit! - Because YOU are the time!
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag! – A thousand years are only one day!
I have just heard some "old" German songs from the last century and I remembered one which was a bit surprising for the client which was in those days the second national German TV station "ZDF" (= Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen). In 1979, they had bought a cartoon trick movie serial about the history of mankind from the national French TV and asked the most famous Austrian singer and composer of those days, Udo Jürgens, if he could compose a German intro song for these cartoons and for the children channel of this TV station.
OK, well, this is what happens if you give "a little job" to a contemporary musical genius: He made a progressive rock opera out of this intro, the text almost some decades ahead of his time and in some way, he misunderstood that job like Mozart might have misunderstood the "little job" with the "Magical Flute".
The Original Intro:
... and the text from 1979 could have made "our" Greta Thunberg really happy today:
Udo Jürgens: 1000 Jahre sind ein Tag
Weißt du wieviel Sterne stehen? - Do you know how many stars are in the sky?
Und wohin die Flüsse gehen? - And where do the rivers go?
Sag', warum der Regen fällt - Tell me why the rain is falling
Wo ist das Ende dieser Welt? - Where is the end of this world?
Was war hier vor tausend Jahren? - What was here a thousand years ago?
Warum können Räder fahren? - Why can wheels drive?
Sind Wolken schneller als der Wind? - Are clouds faster than the wind?
So viele Fragen hat ein Kind - So many questions has a child
„Ach Kind, komm' lass die Fragereien“ - Oh child, come on, leave this questioning
„Für sowas bist du noch zu klein“ - You're still too small for that
„Du bist noch lange nicht soweit“ - You are far from ready for that
„Das hat noch Zeit“ - That still has time
(4 x) Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag – A thousand years are only one day
Wie wird der Mensch zum Nimmersatt - How does man become an insatiable glutton?
Wer alles hat, kriegt noch Rabatt - Those who have everything still get a discount
Und woher kam die Gier nach Geld? - And where did the greed for money come from?
Wie kommt der Hunger auf die Welt? - How does hunger come into the world?
Warum kommt jemand in Verdacht - Why does someone come under suspicion
Nur weil er sich Gedanken macht? - Just because he's worried?
Ist man noch frei, wenn man nichts wagt? - Are you still free if you don't dare anything?
Ja, was ein junger Mensch so fragt - Yes, that’s what a young person asks
He, junges Volk, was soll denn das? - Hey young people, what's that supposed to mean?
Und leistet ihr doch erst mal was! - And you should work something first
Ihr werdet auch noch mal gescheit! - You will also get smart one day as the old ones!
Das bringt die Zeit - That brings the time!
(4 x) Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag! – A thousand years are only one day!
Ist diese Welt denn noch erlaubt? - Is this world still allowed?
Die Erde ist bald ausgeraubt! - The earth will soon be robbed forever!
Das Wasser tot, das Land entlaubt! - The water dead, the land defoliated!
Der Himmel luftdicht zugeschraubt! - The sky screwed airtight!
Die schöne Lüge vom Goodwill - The beautiful lie of goodwill
Das hübsche Spiel vom Overkill - The nice game of overkill
Und wann macht ihr die Waffen scharf? - And when do you arm and sharpen your weapons?
Wenn ich das auch mal fragen darf - If I may ask that, too
Das wird verdammt noch mal so sein - This will happen one damned day
Und wer soll uns das je verzeihen? - And who should ever forgive us this in the future?
Ich bitt' euch, fragt, solang' ihr seid - I ask you, ask, as long as you are here
Denn ihr seid die Zeit! - Because YOU are the time!
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Was ist Zeit? - What is time?
Ein Augenblick - An instant look
Ein Stundenschlag - An hour strike
Tausend Jahre sind ein Tag! – A thousand years are only one day!
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Loxuru
Graf von Kreuzigung
"Hugging contact", or "cuddle contact".Well this is actually neither German nor Austrian.
But sometimes a closely related language will invent a word that's even better than perfect...
I'm lobbying to import "knuffelcontact" into the German vocabulary
View attachment 920327
Kuschelcontact in German?.
Apparently, current Belgian Covid regulations (that's where it comes from) allow one extramarital affair per person?
malins
Stumbling Seeker
Knuffelcontact just sounds way cuter, even in German, probably because 'knuffig' is already a colloquial word for 'cute' but 'knuddeln' is another colloquial word for cuddling, so 'knuffelcontact' comes across as 'cuty-cuddly'"Hugging contact", or "cuddle contact".
Kuschelcontact in German?.
Silent_Water
Tribune
Hm, but to have "Kummerspeck" does not really sound so nice in German because it means that you were eating too much in order to forget something bad or growing fat because you are worrying about something or having sorrow for something or someone.
Unfortunately, in my case, I have remarked that eating a "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" (= "Black Forest Cherry Cake" ?) ...
en.wikipedia.org
... is an extremely good traditional German psychopharmaceutica against any kind of depressions. More unfortunately, after some time it has some side effects which you can easily detect on the libra / bathroom scales.
My last girl friend told me something I am still wondering if this was a compliment or a critical remark. She quoted a part from the German version of "Ice Age", in which the mammoth said about itself: "I am not fat, I am just a bit plushy!"
She told me (and this sounds funny about a man in German language) : "Du bist nicht dick, Du bist nur ein bisschen plüschig, flauschig und ziemlich pflegeleicht!"
Hm, on the other hand, she could have said all of this about a soft woolen bedcover ...
Unfortunately, in my case, I have remarked that eating a "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte" (= "Black Forest Cherry Cake" ?) ...
Black Forest gateau - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
... is an extremely good traditional German psychopharmaceutica against any kind of depressions. More unfortunately, after some time it has some side effects which you can easily detect on the libra / bathroom scales.
My last girl friend told me something I am still wondering if this was a compliment or a critical remark. She quoted a part from the German version of "Ice Age", in which the mammoth said about itself: "I am not fat, I am just a bit plushy!"
She told me (and this sounds funny about a man in German language) : "Du bist nicht dick, Du bist nur ein bisschen plüschig, flauschig und ziemlich pflegeleicht!"
Hm, on the other hand, she could have said all of this about a soft woolen bedcover ...
Silent_Water
Tribune
"Black Adder" was absolutely wrong because we Germans use the common words "flauschig" or "flaumig" instead of "fluffy" and if it is not absolutely 100 % exactly the same meaning, we Germans simply take the English or any "Germanic-looking" word, change it a bit and claim to be "fluffig" a historical but forgotten German word already used by Adam & Eve, so much, much older than the similar English one.
- or we simply take an English word and add a new German meaning to it which no native English-speaker will ever understand like in "public viewing" or "handy"!
You can never and will never beat us Germans in 'anglicizing' and 'foreignisizing' our own language! Bääääääh!
- or we simply take an English word and add a new German meaning to it which no native English-speaker will ever understand like in "public viewing" or "handy"!
You can never and will never beat us Germans in 'anglicizing' and 'foreignisizing' our own language! Bääääääh!
Silent_Water
Tribune
I know what you mean because we Germans are often prepared for many improbable "events & ocurrences".
Once, our hotel manager had invited the staff members to a restaurant with a bowling lane and we had to change our shoes there. Our manager sat in a dark corner and tried to bind his shoelaces which was a bit difficult for him in the dark, so I - being the professional "Night Auditor" in this hotel - took out my pencil-like flashlight and "enlighted" his shoelaces, which shocked him a lot.
Even he said: "Manchmal machen Sie mir Angst, Herr ....!" (= "Sometimes, you are causing "Angst" in me, Mr. ....! You are just again showing this perfection which makes us looking bad in foreign countries, I think, and I am German myself! ")
Once, our hotel manager had invited the staff members to a restaurant with a bowling lane and we had to change our shoes there. Our manager sat in a dark corner and tried to bind his shoelaces which was a bit difficult for him in the dark, so I - being the professional "Night Auditor" in this hotel - took out my pencil-like flashlight and "enlighted" his shoelaces, which shocked him a lot.
Even he said: "Manchmal machen Sie mir Angst, Herr ....!" (= "Sometimes, you are causing "Angst" in me, Mr. ....! You are just again showing this perfection which makes us looking bad in foreign countries, I think, and I am German myself! ")
Hugin&Munin
Presenter Of Images
But some of the words we use in Germany are so wrong that it almost gives me a toothache. For example, the word Handy to describe a cellphone, should sound English, but it isn't.
Silent_Water
Tribune
Oh yes, we Germans are really good in adding English sounding words to our language with completely new meanings - or someone added these words in advertisings while using a bottle of whisky instead of a dictionary.
More examples in Germany:
1. "Beamer" (= video / data projector)
2. "Body Bag" (really a silly word or gag from an advertising campaign (?) for "Rucksack")
3. "Oldtimer" (= vintage / classic car, not an old man)
4. "Showmaster" (= host of a show)
5. "Evergreen" (= song or artist with an everlasting success)
6. "Mobbing" (= bullying)
7. "Casting Show" (= talent show)
8. "Slip" (= short pants)
etc. pp.
More examples in Germany:
1. "Beamer" (= video / data projector)
2. "Body Bag" (really a silly word or gag from an advertising campaign (?) for "Rucksack")
3. "Oldtimer" (= vintage / classic car, not an old man)
4. "Showmaster" (= host of a show)
5. "Evergreen" (= song or artist with an everlasting success)
6. "Mobbing" (= bullying)
7. "Casting Show" (= talent show)
8. "Slip" (= short pants)
etc. pp.
Migoz2
Senator
You might be surprised how many of these make a (twisted) sort of sense to a native English speaker......
Hugin&Munin
Presenter Of Images
Yes, I experienced it myself once, I had to give a lecture to the local volunteer fire department. To do this, I had to couple a projector to a laptop I didn't know, and without even thinking about it, I asked over the internet how I could couple a Beamer to the laptop. Only when the astonished counter-question appeared, why I wanted to couple a car with the laptop, did I notice that something was wrong with the terms. Just ask Mr. Google and I was smarter. I was really ashamed.