Category Archives: German language

When you ask a German friend, “Do you have Spam? Hast du Spam?” he or she won’t think of the canned lunch meat. No, that’s das Frühstücksfleisch, and it’s produced by a number of different companies, but the old favorite … Continue reading →

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Today’s word sends us back to the days when the great German universities were the pride of the civilized world. (Even Prince Hamlet went to a German university, you know.) The word is der Luftikus. No, it isn’t some specialized … Continue reading →

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The English word, “plastic,” has its roots in the Greek word for “to mold” because plastic is formed, not carved like wood or beaten into shape like iron. But the German word for plastic, der Kunststoff, expresses a different concept. … Continue reading →

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I took this picture of my cat, Leela, in the middle of our heatwave. If she could speak, she’d be saying, “Don’t expect any dead mice on the patio today. I have hitzefrei.” When my girls were going to German … Continue reading →

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The word, “Bavarian,” appears to date back to the AD 400s, to the days of the decaying Roman empire, when it was used to describe the people who lived east of the Swabians but west of historic Bohemia (now the … Continue reading →

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If you’ve read the children’s classic, Heidi (and if you haven’t, then you should immediately do so), then you’ve already learned about die Alm. It’s such a unique term that it isn’t usually translated. Die Alm is any high mountain … Continue reading →

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The Spirit of Bavaria

If you take the walk suggested in yesterday’s post from the Königssee to the Obersee in Berchtesgaden National Park, you will soon come across a rugged wooden sign. For those who don’t read German, here is a translation. “At the … Continue reading →

Posted in Folk traditions, Food and drink, German language, Recreation, Rural scenery, Tourist destinations | 2 Comments

If you travel to Bavaria or Austria, you’re likely to notice that every other town name ends in “-au“: Ramsau, Schönau am Königssee, Lindau, Oberammergau, Grainau, and the list could go on and on. That’s because, in this stony, mountainous … Continue reading →

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If you travel to the Königssee, you’re likely to see Forelle on the menu everywhere you go, perhaps as part of another word, such as Forellenfilet. Die Forelle means “trout.” This cold-water fish is stocked in the clear Alpine water … Continue reading →

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Many cultures consider the calico cat to be a sign of good fortune. The cheerful pattern of orange, white, and black patches is a genetic anomaly that normally occurs only in female cats, and just the right combination of factors … Continue reading →

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