Posts from the &#8216;Word of the Week&#8217; Category

Eifersucht, Frühlingsmüdigkeit, Hungerlohn, Torschlusspanik, Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz, Katzenjammer, Freitod, Holzpyjama, Lebensmüde, Fernweh

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: Spirit Annihilation Asylum

Jun 29

Austrian word of the Week – Cabbage Guard

Krautwachter: If you’re a policeman or a soldier and been more naughty than nice, you might find yourself on a fast track for a career as Krautwachter. And who wants a job title that shares half itself with a gas-inducing vegetable? Kraut for cabbage and Wachter for guard. So a cabbage guard refers to the person in charge of doing critical work like watching over the heads of cabbage. You thought it wouldn’t be just a job but an adventure. But you were out munching down on donuts and powdering your rhino tattoo just one marijuana-dealing Oma too many and found yourself shipped off to the Krauts to an assignment threatening fatality through boredom.

And no complaints that this post is gender bias. The term is very clearly Krautwachter and NOT Krautwächterin, which of course doesn’t exist. You won’t find the ladies hanging out with the greens because clearly they are always more nice than naughty and know when to put down the Crispy Cremes and pursue the bad Omis.

Der Kleine Wappler – How to swear and bad mouth in Austria

Delve more into the Austrian creative side with their rant words: “Der Kleine Wappler” by Astrid Wintersberger, Residenz Verlag — book is completely in Austrian language.

Website of Austrian Dialect: Ostarrichi.org

More Words of the Week

Eifersucht, Frühlingsmüdigkeit, Hungerlohn, Torschlusspanik, Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz, Katzenjammer, Freitod, Holzpyjama, Lebensmüde, Fernweh

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: Spirit Annihilation Asylum

Jun 25

Austrian word of the Week – Small House Paper Robber

Häuslpapierfladerer: The German word “Haus” is a cognate of the English word “house.” In German you add the ending “chen” as a diminutive >> Häuschen. In Austria you add an “erl” as the diminutive. A Häuserl is not a little house as in Laura Ingalis’ house on the Prairie – it’s that even smaller closet-sized shack out back that we never see Ma, Pa, Laura, Mary or Carrie visiting but we know must be there. Papier and Paper are also cognates. And fladern? It means to steal. So an Outhouse paper robber is a person who steals the toilet paper from public bathrooms. For shame! Who does such a thing?!

Der Kleine Wappler – How to swear and bad mouth in Austria

Delve more into the Austrian creative side with their rant words: “Der Kleine Wappler” by Astrid Wintersberger, Residenz Verlag — book is completely in Austrian language.

Website of Austrian Dialect: Ostarrichi.org

More Words of the Week

Eifersucht, Frühlingsmüdigkeit, Hungerlohn, Torschlusspanik, Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz, Katzenjammer, Freitod, Holzpyjama, Lebensmüde, Fernweh

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: Spirit Annihilation Asylum

Jun 8

Austrian word of the Week – Spirit Annihilation Asylum

“We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom.” — Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: As I write, thousands of Austrian students who are nearing graduation are being subjected to one last round of tests – four written, and three or four oral. They fail? Tough luck, you don’t graduate. And you thought fixing the tassel on your funny cardboard hat was a lot of pressure at the end senior year. And maybe that’s why Austrian novelist, Thomas Bernhard, referred to schools as Geistesvernichtungsanstalten. “Geist” is the mind or spirit — you might be familiar with the German (and English) term “Zeitgeist” – meaning the “spirit of the times.” “Vernichtung” means annihiliation – yes total destruction – Bernhard was never an author known for holding back or softening the blow. And an “Anstalt” is an institution – but more along the lines of an asylum. So what’s a spirit annihilating asylum? A school.

Now see if you can say the 26-letter word really fast, three times and KC will give you a gold star.

Nie mehr Schule… keine Schule mehr…

More Words of the Week

Eifersucht, Frühlingsmüdigkeit, Hungerlohn, Torschlusspanik, Schadenfreude, Weltschmerz, Katzenjammer, Freitod, Holzpyjama, Lebensmüde, Fernweh

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: Spirit Annihilation Asylum