Splinters 2

Here comes the second issue of Splinters.


Bielefeld

Remember my blog about Bielefeld, a place that does not exist? Bielefeld gibt es nicht.

©Stadt Bielefeld

The city of Bielefeld would like to kill the conspiracy theory for good and is offering a reward of one million euros for the definite proof that Bielefeld does not exist.

With this gag, Bielefeld's marketing department wants to make the city more attractive to tourists.


Kieserlos

In his ballad Der Graf von Habsburg (The Count of Habsburg) Friedrich Schiller wrote the following lines in 1803: Denn geendigt nach langem verderblichen Streit, War die kaiserlose, die schreckliche Zeit (So ended after long and depraving quarrels, The terrible time without an emperor).

Schiller referred to the so-called interregnum when the Holy Roman Empire was without an emperor from 1245 to 1273.

Mourning the dead king (©Wikipedia)

In fact, contemporaries had already mourned, "Also das Römische rich eine Wile one kieser stunt."

History repeats itself, for from August 24 to September 1, Kieser Training in Freiburg is closed for a total renovation of its premises. Depending on his muscle training, Red Baron thought, "This will be a kieserlose, schreckliche Zeit."


Yiddish

I still remember the golden eighties. When staying in New York on a Sunday morning, I hunted for electronics in Jewish shops on 34th Street. Listening to the sales personnel talking in Yiddish, I nearly felt at home. This came to my mind when I read the following invitation on the Internet:

Most of the words are not of German origin but are derived from Hebrew, so I had to look them up. Let me start enlarging my vocabulary:

chazer > a pig
ganef > a thief
ligner (Lügner) > a lier
mamser > a bastard
nebbish > a meek and timid person
nokhshleper (Nachschlepper) > a person hanging on becoming a burden
pisher > a pisser
putz (Putzlaputz) > a stupid and worthless person
schlub > a stupid, worthless, or unattractive person
schmegegge > bullshit
schmuck > a jerk, idiot (pejorative for the penis);
schnorrer (Schnorrer) > a person asking for small things (cigarettes, a drink) without offering anything in return
shande (Schande) > a disgrace
shleger (Schläger) > a brawler
shtarker (Starker) > a strong person
tsvuak > a hypocrite


Schwarze Null

Maybe you have already read about Germany's black zero. Our Ministers of Finance were stubbornly watching that the federal budget remained balanced during recent years.

©Der Spiegel

Admire the Schwarze Null formed by the staff in the courtyard of the Federal Ministry of Finances. They honor the parting of Wolfgang Schäuble (Christian Democrat), who is followed by Olaf Scholz (Social Democrat).

Presently, the pressure is on to behead the holy cow with the blade of new debts. Fresh money is needed for investments to moderate the effects of climate change.
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