The Literal Wittiness of Deutsch
By Merren, tour guide and lover of words that sound rude but aren’t.
This next batch of words may not have the funniest of stories to prop them up, but they make the list purely for the music they bring to our unsuspecting English-speaking ears. And the English rules of thumb that simply don’t apply in German!
Rathaus
Not actually a house full of rats or a place with a rodent infestation problem, but a town hall in fact. Does this say something about what the Germans think of their local government I wonder?
Schifffahrt
Ok, so the definition is not all that stimulating – it means a boat trip or “shipping” – but I love this one purely for the triple “f”. Whaaaa…?!
Ausfahrt
Hehe. Passing wind maybe? Nope, it actually means an exit (a sign commonly seen on the freeway, pointing you in the direction of the off-ramps).
Schmuck
You might read this as a pretty well known derogatory American English term, meaning someone who is stupid or foolish, or even obnoxious and detestable (ie. “He just cut me off! What a schmuck!”). In German, however, the emphasis is placed on the “mu” and it gives us the word for jewelry.
Krankenwagen
Literally, a “sick car”. Actually, an “ambulance”. This is one of those fundamental words that is simply better in German!
Stay tuned for the grand finale to German Giggles coming your way very soon!
