There are a number of German words that have made it into the English language because they are untranslatable, for example, Zeitgeist, Leitmotiv, and Schadenfreude. I have come across a few more that ought to be introduced.
- spießig (adj.) - used to describe anything that demonstrates tastelessness or an exaggerated sense of self-importance. For example, comb-overs, garden gnomes, and manicured lawns. Or, the Austrian Silent Night Society (mission: to be the world's authority on the song Silent Night).
- basteln (v.) - To basteln is to create like a kid in the largest sense, to make something impressive with modest inputs. So you can basteln a robot out of toilet paper rolls or you can basteln a dinner from what happens to be left in the refrigerator.
- Ausbildung (n.) is schooling or training in a general sense, could be practical, hands-on or theoretical. The word is useful and egalitarian because it can be applied so universally; whether mechanic or pilot or teacher or nurse -- just about everyone has some form of Ausbildung.
- Liebeskummer (n.) - If you have a Liebeskummer, or a severe case of the love blues, you have been clinically diagnosed as heartbroken.
- Fingerspitzengefuehl - (n.) Though it literally only means the feeling (-gefuehl) in your fingertips (Fingerspitzen), this word refers to a particular flair, or an uncanny ability for something tricky. Intuition of the fingertips.
And as a bonus bonus, here are some nifty words to incorporate from other languages.
Since my blog is named in honor of the three ring big top, I think it's about time to take the circus as a focal point here.
The direct inspiration for this post came from an event at my former school near Bonn, a circus perfor- mance that transformed kids who usually sit like zombies in a classroom into flying, twirling, juggling masters. They were the prodigies of a professional, traveling children's circus trainer who led them through a week of workshops culminating in a show.A week sounds like a long time - and it is if you consider that no ordinary school lessons took place in those five days. But when you look at the fact that most kids don't have any experience with acrobatics, disappearing like Houdini, or playing a clown, a week is a preciously small amount of time to get anything polished enough for a stage - even a stage with only loving audience members.Given those constraints, I was blown away by the level of professionalism and the overwhelming success of the acts during the performance, not to mention the energy that the kids brought onto the stage. Only once or twice did anyone fall from a unicycle or miss a ball flying in her direction. Furthermore, students from every clique and age group were enthusiastic participants. Cool, sullen 10th graders dazzled the audience with diablos, while 8th grade girls hung from trapeezes and their smaller schoolmates hung from them.
What is the price of this success, you might ask. Cut the population of the school down by two-thirds (the remaining students get busy work) and bring in loads of volunteer parents to cultivate a 1:2 teacher-student ratio. Then ask the school principal to leave so that lots of funding and more labor is donated in honor of his retirement.
But wouldn't it be great if P.E. were always so full of suspense and so cooperative? Wouldn't it be worth putting a bit more money into our school systems? Those kids came alive. Maybe they'll spend more time over the next couple of weeks dancing with streamers than sending text messages or collecting inappropriate videos on their cell phones. Because what do you need hardcore porno for if you've seen someone eating fire - live - and it was your buddy from algebra?
