Birte Priebe
Congrestolk     -     Konferenzdolmetscherin     -     Conference Interpreter
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch
  • English
  • Contact/Kontakt
  • Blog

Word of the Week: LÆKKERBISKEN

22/9/2014

0 Comments

 
Bild
Word of the Week is back after an eventful summer that yielded lots of inspiration for this blog. Unfortunately, inspiration alone is not enough to make a post, so you will have to bear with me a little longer if you are interested in the German words I discovered in the Baltic countries, among others.

This week, just a little choice morsel - that's what Leckerbissen means in German. In Danish, it is used as lækkerbisken (and usually for food, mind you, just like in German).

The image is from http://goshirtdk.spreadshirt.dk.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: SPASMAGER

26/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
The German word Spaßmacher (jester, comedian) comes from Spaß (fun, joke), which, I have just discovered, was originally the Italian spasso. The Danes took their spas, spasmager and spasmageri (the activity of a spasmager) from the Germans, though. 

The image is from www.information.dk.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: SPROSSE

24/3/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Spring is almost here - time to clean the windows! Including the glazing bars, if any. They are called Sprossen in German, as well as in Norwegian and Danish. 

The image is from www.sentrumbygg.no.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: PRYGELKNABE

10/2/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM AUSPUFF TO ZEITGEIST - MY BLOG HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A YEAR NOW! THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING ME!

This week's Word of the Week has a very intriguing history. A Prügelknabe is the German version of a whipping boy, a position that was introduced at the English court a few centuries ago. Whipping boys were boys who grew up and were educated with princes and were punished for the failings of their royal companions. This was because no one but the king had the right to punish a prince, and the king was often absent. This form of discipline worked because the princes often developed a close relationship with their whipping boy, making it hard for them to witness the punishment that they should have undergone themselves. Click here for more background information.

Today, Prügelknabe is mainly used as a synonym for scapegoat. The same is true for prygelknabe, which is the form Prügelknabe takes in Danish and Norwegian. 

The image is from www.gucca.dk.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: KITSCH

30/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
I believe that this week's choice is one of those words that spread to other languages because they fill a gap - they provide a name for something that is nameless in those languages. Kitsch is used in English, French, Dutch and Danish, to name just a few.

The image is from www.theworldofkitsch.com.

0 Comments

Word of the Week: HABENGUT

7/10/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's time for Danish again: the German expression Hab und Gut (all one's belongings or worldly goods) is used in Danish in the form of habengut, as is nicely illustrated by the logo of a coffee/beer/wine bar in Copenhagen's newest neighborhood, Ørestad.

The image is from www.habengut.dk.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: STEIGEISEN

8/7/2013

0 Comments

 
Bild
As with langlaufen, it's probably not a surprise that the flatlanders don't have their own word for crampons or climbing irons. This week's Word of the Week lost its capital letter, but otherwise the Danes have left Steigeisen untouched with regard to both spelling and meaning.

Personally, I'm not so sure I'd fancy wearing a "Cramp-O-Matic", but then I'm no alpinist, of course. 

The picture is from www.flipflashpages.uniflip.com.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: FEINSCHMECKER

6/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Bild
In German, a Feinschmecker is a gourmet. The Danes, however, use this word in a much wider context, as you can see above. In Denmark, you can be a feinschmecker in many different areas other than food, provided you have a discerning taste and a keen eye for luxury.

The picture is from www.reeslevdesign.com.
0 Comments

Word of the Week: POLTERABEND

18/2/2013

2 Comments

 
Bild
The traditional German pre-wedding Polterabend, a party that involves the smashing of crockery for good luck (to be cleaned up by the newlyweds-to-be), has migrated northwards. The Danes use the same word, and just like modern Germans they have devised many more fun ways to celebrate the day than just smashing old plates or toilet bowls. As a matter of fact, toilet bowl races seem to be all the rage, as witnessed by this picture!

The image is from www.superevent.dk.
2 Comments

    About

    This is a blog about the traces German (my mother tongue) has left in other languages. Contributions from your language(s) are more than welcome! Mail me at [email protected].
    If you want to know more about me, feel free to browse the other pages of this site.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    African
    Bulgarian
    Croatian
    Czech
    Danish
    Dutch
    English
    Estonian
    Finnish
    French
    Hungarian
    Italian
    Japanese
    Latvian
    Lithuanian
    Norwegian
    Polish
    Romanian
    Russian
    Slovenian
    Spanish
    Swedish
    Turkish

    RSS Feed

© Birte Priebe