German of the day: Wildschwein

That means lion or lioness.

Until it means wild boar or wild bore.

Escaped ‘lioness’ in Berlin was most likely a wild boar, mayor says – Experts reach conclusion after analysing video that had triggered the original search.

The sound of a lion roaring in the Zehlendorf district inside Berlin’s borders turned out to have been played through bluetooth speakers by a group of teenagers…

It’s not a slowdown…

It’s more like a Vollbremsung. That’s German for full braking or emergency stop.

Germany’s highest court just cancelled the Green’s latest rush-rush trick, I mean plan to save the planet at German taxpayers’ expense.

Germany’s Green Slowdown – While voters may still broadly support net zero goals, they’re not necessarily on board with the escalating costs of the transition.

… Today, it’s the Greens’ proposed ban on new gas boilers in homes that’s causing trouble. Against a backdrop of sliding poll ratings, the party’s partners in the coalition forced a dilution of the plan last month in a package that also included a massive road-building program.

In another blow to the policy — dubbed Habeck’s Heating Hammer by the opposition — Germany’s constitutional court has made a highly unusual intervention in the legislative process and ordered the government to give parliament more time to scrutinize the plan.

German Of The Day: Schrumpfen

That means to shrink.

You know. As in the Sick Man of Europe? The Incredible Shrinking (or was it Sinking) Country?

German Economy Shrinks Faster Than Expected – It’s a rare thing to happen, but Germany now looks like the sick man of Europe, a phrase previously often used to describe Britain.

The health of the business sector dropped significantly in June, according to recent data. The Ifo Business Climate index for Germany, which measures the health of the commercial sector, registered 88.5 in June, down from 91.5 in May. Higher numbers show economic strength, whereas lower ones show a weakening of the economy.

Speaking of sinking…

The Germans Can’t Talk About Biden

Even they can see what’s happening in US-Amerika right now and are in the deepest, strategic denial. So they gladly talk about (as in down) Trump instead. Or “Trump’s America.” That Evergreen (German for perennial hit) is always a guaranteed feel-good.

A Road Trip through Trump’s America – Former U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking another term in the White House. A trip through Republican-controlled states reveals just how radically America has already changed. Can the country survive a second Trump tenure?

Is America on the verge of a split? Or, even worse, a civil war? The question may sound rather hysterical, but the longer you travel through the country, the more pressing it becomes…

German Of The Day: “Unter Sich”

That means among each other. Like, you know, “Americans among each other?”

American tourist killed, another injured in attack near Germany’s Neuschwanstein castle, police say – Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for the castle in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”

An American tourist was killed and another was injured when they were attacked by an American man they met near the famous Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany, authorities said Thursday…

The man then “physically attacked” the younger woman, police said. When the other woman tried to intervene, the man choked her and pushed her down a steep slope. He then apparently attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before also pushing her down the slope. Both women fell nearly 50 meters (165 feet), according to police.

I’ve Seen German Men Do Lots Of Weird Things

But I’ve never seen one try to sit in one of these.

I’m calling fake news on this one.

Men shouldn’t stand to pee, but sit like Germans do, urologist says – A senior urologist claims that men should not urinate standing up but should instead sit down. Here, the Germans might have the right idea.

PS: Personally, I’ve heard nothing but disdain for men who sit when they piss, but maybe that’s just the questionable crowd I hang around with. See “sit pisser:” Sitzpisser = Sitzpinkler = Turnbeutelvergesser = Warmduscher = Nullschecker = Regenschirmmitdabeihaber…

German Of The Day: Umarmung

That means hug.

Frankfurt: A driver joined the convoy of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his private car without authorization and hugged him after getting out without bodyguards intervening in time.

This incident raises significant questions.

Question number one: Why would you want to hug that guy? Question number two: Nope. That’s it, actually. I don’t have any other questions.

A Gift From Putin’s Russia?

Gift being German for poison.

German police said they are investigating the possible poisoning of two Russian exiles who attended a conference in Berlin at the end of April, organised by Russian Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Berlin police told Reuters “a file had been opened” after German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, citing Russian investigative media group Agentstvo, said two women reported symptoms that suggested possible poisoning.

German Of The Day: Vetternwirtschaft

That means cronyism, nepotism.

Those two are as thick as Green thieves. Or they were, at least.

Germany’s star Robert Habeck brought down to earth by cronyism and boilers – Vice-chancellor’s unpopularity contrasts with the adulation he enjoyed for many years.

The Green economy minister and vice-chancellor faced the darkest day in his 17 months in office on Wednesday when he was forced to sack one of his closest aides over a widening nepotism scandal.

German Of The Day: Willkommensgeschenk

That means welcome gift.

Gift in German, by the way, means poison.

As a welcome gift, Scholz put together an arms package worth 2.7 billion euros. Germany is supplying more infantry fighting vehicles, older Leopard-1s, howitzers, armored combat vehicles, reconnaissance drones and ammunition. It is the most extensive pledge by the German government since the start of the war.