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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.