LINGUISTIC CONUNDRUM

Germans Have A Word For Everything! Take A Look At These 10 Examples

Image: Bekky Bekks

Languages are a curious thing: No matter how different they are, we humans always find a way to understand each other. Translation has come a long way in making sure of that. However, it hasn’t covered all its gaps; some words remain untranslatable. In the German language, words like sturmfrei and verschlimmbessern (yep, that’s a word!) have no direct translation, but that doesn’t mean they are not describable. So, we’ve put together a list of ten German words with their funny descriptions, do you feel like learning German? Read on then!

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Here’s a word you can learn, but sure don’t want your children or grandchildren to learn. Sturmfrei literally translates to "when your parents are away, and you have the whole house to yourself."

The word describes a feeling, and based on its literal translation, one can assume it is a feeling of happiness, excitement, and why not, freedom. Specifically, the kind of freedom a teenager gets when their parents leave the house to their regard.

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This is a rather long word, but that is not an uncommon thing in the German language. This is because multiple meanings can be attached to a base, forming more complex meanings. In this case, verschlimmbessern means "to make things worse by trying to improve them."

However, it’s not used in the most common scenario of facing a problem and trying to bring about a solution that backfires. It refers to the consequence of obsession with perfection, which can ultimately be counterproductive. Trying to improve things over and over only to make everything worse… Who hasn’t been there?

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The complexities of the modern world can easily bring us down and we need to work on our mental health to win the battle day after day. Now, in German, there is a word that describes the apathy caused by the comparison of the current state of the world with an ideal state: that word is weltschmerz.

It describes that melancholic feeling that comes from realizing how hard living in the modern world is. Moreover, it includes an idealist aspect, the kind that hopes to live in an ideal world. When confronted with the realization of the impossibility of achieving such a world, weltschmerz comes into play.

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Another long word, and who would think such a specific situation was worth putting so many letters together? If you’ve ever played in the snow, you can relate to that awful sensation that comes from picking up the snow with your bare hands.

Well, in German, when you’re not brave enough to do that, you’re handschuhschneeballwerfer. This term means you are too afraid to pick up the snow with bare hands and resort to a glove to do so. Now, its literal translation is "glove snowball thrower." Quite specific, don’t you think?

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Perfection and obsession with details don’t always end badly, like with the words we discussed before. You can just be an erbsenzähler and that’s it. This word, an adjective, describes someone who is obsessed with details and a bit of a control freak, according to its literal translation.

In this context, the person can’t stand even the smallest detail being out of their control. So, if you think you fall into this category, you might want to think again. "Erbsenzähler" is a compound word and, its literal translation includes the words "peas" and "count!"

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Speaking of German words, this term represents its essence perfectly. However cool it sounds, this word is part of this list because it has no direct equivalent in English. Here is what it means: Sprachgefühl refers to someone who loves learning a new language and is obsessed with fully grasping its grammatical nuances.

If you decide to study German after reading this article, then you could be described as a sprachgefühl: a unique word for a unique interest!

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If you thought the previous ones were weird, wait until you hear about this one! Dreikäsehoch when translated literally, means "three cheese high." And we’re sure you will never guess what it means, so here is the explanation.

The word simply describes an undersized child, that is, a child who is not tall enough for their age. It is an adjective used to describe that situation. Now, if cheese has nothing to do with it, how did it come to be part of the word? Think of it this way: The kid is not taller than three cheese rolls piled one on top of the other. Talk about untranslatable words!

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Have you ever been caught red-handed? You start sweating and your brain instantly tries to come up with answers for all those questions that are coming your way. Now, that is erklärungsnot. Having to explain yourself quickly.

Even if it lacks a one-on-one translation, this word is quite transparent. It is used to describe the immediacy of a situation in which you have to come up with answers to explain what you were caught doing.

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If we said that treppenwitz means, literally, "a staircase joke," would you understand its meaning? If not, let us enlighten you.

A treppenwitz refers, once again to a very specific scenario: Imagine someone makes a joke or a witty comment, and you are left speechless, unable to figure out what to say in response to sound just as smart or funny. Can you see where we are going? After the moment has passed, your brain comes up with the perfect response, but it is just too late to say it. That moment right there is treppenwitz. Frustrating, isn’t it?

Image: Seb [ P34K ] Hamel

This word is indeed untranslatable, but we’re sure it’s not in your best interest for anyone to find a translation of it if they are talking about you.

Schadenfreude translates to "damage joy," and it describes the feeling of happiness that comes from seeing another person fail, or enjoying someone’s distress.

The German language knows that getting any joy out of another person’s misery is simply wicked. Good for them!

Turkey Day!

Learn about one of our favorite holidays with these Thanksgiving facts!

Image: Claudio Schwarz

The last Thursday of November marks one of America’s favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. This iconic celebration is not only a time for delicious food and time well-spent with family and loved ones, but it is also a holiday that makes us think about what it means to be an American. With that in mind, we have selected a few fun and interesting facts about Thanksgiving to help you embrace the holiday spirit. Enjoy!

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We’ll start at the very beginning with the first Thanksgiving. Most historians mark 1621 as the year of the first Thanksgiving dinner, hosted by the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate the good harvest held that year. In order to thank them for their assistance during the scarcity of the previous winter, the Pilgrims shared the celebration with the Wampanoag tribe.

Having said that, some historians argue that the earliest precursor to Thanksgiving happened in 1619 when 38 English settlers arrived in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their arrival was immediately followed by a religious celebration, designated as an annual observance, to serve as "a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

Image: Gabriel Garcia Marengo

But what’s Thanksgiving without its undisputed star? For decades, American families have served turkey as the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving dinners. After all, the holiday is so closely associated with this bird that many call this holiday by the unofficial nickname "Turkey Day." Such is America’s fascination with turkeys that an estimated 46 million are prepared each year.

Interestingly, while nowadays turkey definitively takes center stage in almost every American table, the truth is that this beloved farm bird wasn’t featured in the first Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, the inaugural feast featured fruits, vegetables, fish such as cod and bass, and meats like venison.

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While Thanksgiving is undeniably a time to spend with family, there are still a few things all Americans can enjoy about it. Case in point: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through the streets of New York City. Nearly 100 years have passed since the first time this legendary parade took place in 1924, making it the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade, after Philadelphia's.

Macy’s Parade traditionally runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, moving throughout Manhattan streets and ending outside Macy's Herald Square. Its most memorable moments usually come from its delightful and iconic floats, with Peanut’s Snoopy standing out as one of the most beloved characters to hover over the excited crowds.

Image: Tyler Donaghy

We have been dealing with some age-old traditions up to this point, so let’s now focus on a relatively recent one. While the annual ceremony known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, on which the U.S. president is presented a live turkey by the National Turkey Federation, dates back to the 1940s, we are instead talking about the tradition known as the turkey pardon.

While President Reagan is often credited as the first to formally pardon a presidential turkey, previous presidents also spared the lives of their gifted poultry: For instance, both President Kennedy and Carter returned their turkeys to live on farms or in petting zoos. Having said that, the tradition became a widely recognized tradition during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, with every president after him issuing pardons on their turkeys.

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Thanksgiving tends to be a busy time for everyone: with so much food to cook and decorations to prepare, everyone has to pitch in and do their part. But your dinner table is definitively not the only busy place around—Thanksgiving tends to be the busiest time of the year for air travel since millions of Americans go back home to spend time with their loved ones.

To be fair, the busiest travel days are typically the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after, as these are the days when most people hit the road or take to the skies. It’s estimated that approximately 31% of Americans travel for Thanksgiving.

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Turkey might be synonymous with this holiday, but we all know that a truly memorable Thanksgiving table is brimming with delicious dishes. So, let’s take some time to pay homage to the myriad of incredible side dishes that accompany us every Thanksgiving.

The usual favorites include yams, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce, but the truth is that each family introduces their own unique twists and preferences to the table. We’ll leave you the next few lines to reminisce about those amazing dishes that would make your Thanksgiving extra special.

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As long as traditions go, this one seems timeless: Who doesn’t remember tossing around the old pigskin while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be ready? Football and Thanksgiving have been synonymous throughout modern American history, whether through a friendly game of flag football or by watching professional games broadcast on TV.

Since its creation in 1920, the NFL has played games on Thanksgiving Day. Traditionally, two of these games have been hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966. This tradition comes from the days before the formation of the NFL when college football games were a hallmark of the November season.

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As we mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving dates back to many years before the founding of our country. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that this holiday was declared a National Holiday, proclaimed by the Great Emancipator himself, President Lincoln.

During the turmoil of the American Civil War, President Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing a National Thanksgiving Holiday would henceforth be celebrated on the 26th of November 1863, the last Thursday of November that year. In this document, the president stated that the gifts of God to the United States should be "gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people."

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Hear us out: By no means are we trying to besmirch the good name of our 3rd President with this entry. However, it should be said that, during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, no federal Thanksgiving holiday was declared. Was Thomas Jefferson some sort of Thanksgiving Grinch, that tried to keep this holiday all for himself? Far from it. Like much of what this country owes to this Founding Father, this had to do with Jefferson’s strong ideals.

Before President Lincoln declared a federal Thanksgiving Day, U.S. Presidents had to declare the holiday annually. Because Thanksgiving included prayers to thank God for His blessings, Jefferson considered that declaring a National Thanksgiving would be against his belief of separating church and state.

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We’ll close this article by highlighting what we believe to be the most important part of this holiday. As we mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for the many things going on in our lives.

The ways in which people express their gratitude vary. Some choose this time to give back to their fellow Americans and sign up to help provide a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. In any case, we believe that the most important thing is to let your loved ones and your community know in what ways they have made a difference this year.