Posts from the ‘Austrian Phrase of the Week’ Category

May 22

Word of the Week – Arschknapp – Butt Close

The word of the week comes from a statement made by an Austrian news reporter describing the head-to-head election results for Austria’s new president. Tarek Leitner of the Austrian public TV station, ORF, offered his professional, analytical take on the situation as “Arschknapp.”

And with the results standing at 50/50 on the evening after the election and a nation holding its breath and this time around – the whole world watching — while the over 800,000 absentee ballots that will decide the outcome are counted, Leitner’s political analysis seems Arschgenau.

Arsch: butt or arse
knapp: close or tight/narrow

News report and video with “Arschknapp” statement: Tarek Leitner sorgt mit „Arschknapp“-Sager für Lacher

Apr 15

DISTANCE HURT – Austrian word of the Week

Fernweh: Oh yeah. Americans feel it too. But maybe the-powers-that-be thought it wise not to allow it into the English language, for fear that the English-speaking wage slaves amongst us with little to no paid vacation time could be chronically ill with Fernweh. Wittgenstein knew exactly what he was talking about when he said the boundaries of our language are the boundaries of our world. No name? No reality. Better to let those European German-speakers name and suffer from their Fernweh ailment as they plan their month-long annual jaunts to distance lands, exotic beaches and tropical paradises. Because who the heck isn’t suffering a bit of distance hurt whenever Poldi from three cubicles down, keeps sending the company Whatsapp group amazingly gorgeous photos of hippos or

Don’t be fooled. Whatapp Hippo Photo sent to induce Fernweh and envy.

rhinos and clear blue African skies while the rest of us peons are battling the last of our winter colds, suffering through Lugner Presidential raps and elbowing Omis in Billa for the last pack of the spring’s first ripened strawberries. Yes, unbelievable but true, even if you are fortunate enough to reside in the world’s most livable city, you can suffer from bouts of Fernweh. So if

Vienna store sign bragging about being on vacation instead of simply posting “closed.”

you’re like me, it’s not that you weren’t desperate to get out of Dodge while living your hamster-wheel 9-5 existence in small town USA, you just didn’t realize there was a proper name for it and that folks just like you all over the globe were suffering from the exact same thing – Fernweh! Yes, Fernweh!

More Words of the Week

Beuschlreißer: Lung Ripper

Beach in Panama – guaranteed to grant Fernweh sufferers relief while experienced – unless they’re too busy trying to hide something else.

Blechtrottel: Tin Idiot

C-80

Eierbär: Eggsbear

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

Fetzenschädel: Rags Skull

Geistesvernichtungsanstalt: Spirit Annihilation Asylum

Gespritzer

Häuslpapierfladerer: House Paper Thief

Hatscher

Krautwacher: Cabbage Guard

Putzgretl: Cleaning Gretl

Saubär: Pig Bear

Treppenwitz: Stair Joke

Oct 9

BORED IN SKULL – Austrian Phrase of the Week

Fad im Schädel: Best illustrated by possible exchange between two college freshmen:
Girl: (Contemplating if a hammer or strong tug would be more effective) Whatever possessed you to put a flower pot on your head in the first place?
Guy Who Looks Like Devo Band Member Wannabe: (assuming he is somewhat honest, self-aware or alcohol is making him brutally so): It’s not a flower pot, it’s an energy dome and “es war mir fad im Schädel.“

Devo rock band

It was to him boring in his skull. Meaning? He was so bored out of his mind, that some primitive part of his brain deduced that acting like an idiot was a more preferable state of being. (and don’t get the guy version of hissy-fit on me guys – man up and simply admit it’s definitely a guy syndrome).

Still in denial? Staple gun battles with the guys in the barracks. Tasering-just-for-fun amongst police colleagues. The who-can-hold-onto-the-electric-fence-the-longest cowboys. Th red-hot-chilli-pepper-eating contest because the poker game needed higher stakes.

The popularity of the Fad-im-Schädel Poster Children — MTV’s “Jackass” stars – was perhaps predictable. The Youtube Nightline clip of the show features the byline “Really Bored Dudes on ABC’s Nightline.” Nightline’s lead-in question: “But why are they doing all that?” Seriously Nightline? Just because the English language hasn’t yet adopted fad im Schädel, doesn’t mean English-speaking guys are any less afflicted. The phrase is bound to make it into the American Heritage (or its equivalent) sooner or later, just an entry above Schadenfreude, which is what the ladies experience when the chilli pepper pain is difficult to quench, the staple guns leave their wounds, the tasers hit an unintended mark, or the flower pot demands professional assistance for removal.

This is obviously an international phenomena that also strikes British men as well – check out what this guy got up to while the Mrs. was away: Aycliff man who stole woman’s knickers was bored because wife was away at dog shows, court told – the thoroughness of the roving news reporter’s tenacity for fact-finding is impressive. Lizzie will stop at nothing to get every detail into her knicker caper article – even the exact color of the knickers (yellow).

The school boys in the painting featured here are all suffering severe boredom in their skulls as their teacher dozes away their lesson.

Everything you never wanted to know about the Jackass series on Wikipedia.

And – because you know you are dying for it: Devo’s Whip It Video.

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