That means surprise!
As in the circus has just come to town?
Clinton circus has become too much, even for political junkies
Tag Archives: Language
German Of The Day: Annäherung
That means approach or rapprochement.
German Of The Day: Neinsager
That means people who always say no first and ask question later. You know, like when it comes to maybe having the Olympics in Berlin in 2024? NOlympia here, folks.
The northern port city of Hamburg was picked on Monday as the country’s preferred choice for a 2024 summer Olympics bid ahead of Berlin, with the German Olympic Sports Confederation’s (DOSB) members to ratify the proposal later this week.
“I coulda been a contender.”
German Of The Day: Die Befriedigung Voyeuristischer Bedürfnisse
That means the satisfaction of voyeuristic needs. And that is not, this guy here below repeats, NOT what his possible participation in the upcoming reality-show-media-spectacle “Mars One” on RTL is going to be about.
Well not for him, perhaps. He says he just wants to make the world a better place. On Mars (he’s young – and has an SPD party membership book). And of the 200,000 people who have applied to take part in this cosmic kamikaze picnic he has made it all the way up to the last 660 future contestants batch. You know, he’s still being casted like they do on Germany’s Next Topmodel by Heidi Klum? His mom must be really proud.
You see, the planned “Mars One” mission will need lots and lots of dough to properly sponsor, I mean send their crews to their deaths and that’s why the TV rights have already been sold to the Dutch production firm Endemol, the same folks who bring us, I mean you, shows like Big Brother. So I guess we know where this is going – other than to Mars, I mean – but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the satisfaction of voyeuristic needs, to come full circle again already. No, it clearly doesn’t. It’s just about a simple suicide mission to Mars. Nothing more, nothing less.
Hey, I’m all for the exploration of Mars. But a one-way ticket there for human beings in reality show format is, well, as one guy in the article rightly points out, “ethically questionable” to say the least.
Es geht nicht um die Befriedigung voyeuristischer Bedürfnisse.
German Of The Day: Scherzkeks
A “joke cookie” here is what we call a wisecracker. You know, a jokester? Take this jokester here at Tegel Airport today (this guy really kills me).
He’s getting ready to board his flight with his girlfriend for their vacation in Florida, right? So they’re having a look at his carry-on bag and he says – now get this – “There’s a bomb inside.” Funny. As. Scheiße! Don’t you think? And original, too. But the real punch line part only comes around a little later: He wasn’t allowed to take that flight, screws up his vacation, impresses his girlfriend big-time forever and then gets charged with another cool German word: Ordnungswidrigkeit (an administrative offense or infraction)! Hardy, har, har. Brilliant joke cookie stuff who needs the crackers?
Some people are just more funny than other people are, I’ve found. Evolution wants it that way or something.
Like this guy’s uncle here earlier in the week (I’m assuming of course it just has to be this guy’s uncle). He walked in through security control at Tegel with a revolver and 43 rounds of ammunition in his carry-on bag because – now get this – he didn’t know it was in there! Ha, ha. Apparently the bag had been given to him when his father died and he had never bothered to look inside before and just grabbed the thing at random when he needed a bag for his flight. Hilarious stuff.
But how on earth do they manage to think any of this up?
“Dieser sensible Sicherheitsbereich ist einfach kein Ort für schlechte Scherze.”
German Of The Day: Lieber ein Ende mit Schrecken als ein Schrecken ohne Ende
That means “better a terrifying end than unending terror.” In other words, it’s time for Greece to get those drachma machines running again.
But the Greeks already know this themselves. That’s what they just voted for. Sure, we’ll get to watch how Greece and the EU (Germany) play around with each other for a few weeks as if both sides are tying to find a new solution for a solution that has already long been in place but in the end Greece will leave the EU. This new Greek government is the undertaker man (don’t shake that guy’s hand!). They will point their fingers at Germany on the way out telling Greek voters “we tried everything we could, but…” and then, well, it’s back to the real world again. And this will be a good thing for Greece – in the long run.
Hey, this reminds me of another German saying: Geh mit Gott, aber geh! Go with God, but go!
Entgegen allen Warnungen aus Deutschland und Europa lehnt die griechische Regierung Gespräche mit den internationalen Geldgebern ab. Sie seien in Athen nicht willkommen.
15 Cool German Illnesses You Can Only Get Here
Mostly because 1) you probably can’t pronounce them and 2) they don’t really exist.
Germans aren’t hypochondriacs, by the way. They’re Hypochonder.
14. ZIVILISATIONSKRANKHEIT
Zivilisationskrankheit, or “civilization sickness” is a problem caused by living in the modern world. Stress, obesity, eating disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome and diseases like type 2 diabetes are all examples.
German Of The Day: Umsonst
That means “for free.” Like this ebook right here:
The next three days only at Smashwords.
Your coupon code is VN48A (not case-sensitive).
I would appreciate a review. Enjoy!
German Of The Day: 5 Billionen
That means 5 trillion (don’t ask, but it really does). And that’s how many euros German savers have set aside for a rainy day.
That’s going to be one rainy day.
Zwar investierten die privaten Haushalte ihr Geld trotz niedriger Zinsen vor allem in kurzfristige und vermeintlich sichere Bankeinlagen. Trotzdem wuchs ihr Geldvermögen von Juli bis September 2014 um 28 Milliarden Euro oder 0,6 Prozent auf 5,01 Billionen Euro, wie die Deutsche Bundesbank mitteilte.
German Of The Day: Die Initiative Ergreifen
That means taking the initiative. You know, as in arresting two Salafists in Berlin Wedding on suspicion of recruiting fighters for Isis in Syria?
And it’s about freaking time, people. And congratulations to Belgium on their fine catch, too.
Following the recent attacks in Paris and the thwarting on Thursday of a terrorist plot in Belgium, 250 officers simultaneously raided 11 addresses across the German capital.
Observing Hermann 