German Vocabulary: Word of the Day

[Zicko]

Sorry, but there is no such thing as "Eiserne Portion". At least not in "Kriegssprache" (sic).
If ever Dauerwurst was part of something "Eisern", it was "Eiserne RATION".
Zicko

[Tom Houlihan]

Actually, subsequent information made me think the very same thing this morning!

[phylo_roadking]

The parable....

In 1979 one Erwin Tragatsch published the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles, claiming to have listed EVERY brand of motorcycle ever built - even those batches of half a dozen built in the early 1900s by bicycle shops clipping aftermarket motors into their own pushbike frames...

Believe me, it is a mighty and weighty tome! And even today a considerable monetary investment.

Here in the UK FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS the letters page of one of the monthly Classic Bike mags was filled with brands Tragatsch had missed out!

These many and various new finds became colloquially known as "NAITs" - "Not Appearing In Tragatsch"....

Stand by, Tom!

[Tom Houlihan]

Phylo, I never, ever claimed that Kriegsprache was the definitive work of its type!! I'll proclaim it to be comprehensive, but certainly not all-inclusive. No doubt, in years to come, I'll find more glitches like Zicko pointed out. I'll take the hit on that one.

Don't worry... The second edition, a few years down the road, will have more entries!

[ReinhardH]

lol ... a few terms my dear old dad shared with me a few years ago ... had I not already been sitting on the floor watching TV at the time, I would have fallen out of my chair laughing....
Negerschweiss (coffee)
Hängepulver (salt peter)

[Tom Houlihan]

I've got the first one, gotta add the second one.

[HeinrichFrey]

Hello Zicko,
"Eiserne Portion" is the right term used in the Wehrmacht. Two per soldier had been carried with the field kitchen and only the commanding officer could give them free. They normally contained 300g bread, 300g tinned pork and 200g tinned legumes like pies. Dauerwurst is a kind of salami. But You are correct, Zicko, the today used term is "Eiserne Ration"
Greetings
Matt

[Quax der Bruchpilot]

Kommissbrot (Army Bread), in reality German dark bread
"Kommissbrot" out of tin cans: Panzerplatte
"Untergefreiter" (somebody who is not liked very much, army ranks start at "Gefreiter", nothing below ("Untergefreiter") is possible
@#%: weak coffee
NS-Röhre (Nazi-Tube): submarine
unbemannt (unmanned): female, not married
Flintenweib: armed female
Scheisshausparolen: propaganda lies
Fisimatenten: Nonsense (from: "visite ma tente", invitation by Napoleonic officers to German girls, counter attacked by German mothers saying: Heute keine Fisimatenten: Today no such nonsense)
Rollmops(rolled pug): herring in vinaiger
Seelenverkäufer (soul seller): old ship
Sackratten (sack rats), Filzläuse (felt lice): pubic lice
Puffbrause (brothel selters): Champain

[Quax der Bruchpilot]

the weak coffee word which is very common and not derived from an English word sounding alike:

M .U. C. K . E .F .U . C. K .

[Tom Houlihan]

Danke, QdB!

Kriegsprache is in process of a re-write, with some additions, to be republished as Kriegssprache. I just don't know when it will be finished!

[Quax der Bruchpilot]

Hitler was often named "GRÖFAZ (grösster Führer aller Zeiten), however Gröfaz sounds much more like a short form of "grölender Fatzke" (bawling fob), thats why it was so popular.

[Quax der Bruchpilot]

As "dicker (fat) Kawenzmann" anything of large caliber was described. The word was and is very common in military language, its origin is unknown. Assumed to be derived from "convent's man", a high (huge) administrative officer.

[Die Blechtrommel]

How about Der Alte Haase?
I thought it means "A seasoned veteran", but now I'm not so sure.

Anyone for tennis?
Juha-Pekka

[Helmut]

AFFENSCHAUKEL or monkey swing= The cord worn by the adjutant on the dress unifiorm as a symobl of his position.

regards,

Helmut

[Tom Houlihan]

Thanks, Helmut!