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Summary: Naughtyspeak
Review: This is a very funny and useful book. As langauges go, German seems to have an unusually colourful set of expletives. This is not only meant for those who intend to use a great deal of profanity, however -- knowledge of the use of certain slangs, putdowns and swear words are necessary to get a feel for the language as well as to avoid unintentionally embarassing oneself. For example, a typist should never be called a typist (typsi) in German, as it is an insult. There are quite a few colloqialisms here, so be knowledgeable about which ones are used in which areas of Germany, Austria and Switzerland to avoid sounding like an idiot, and of you do choose to use these phrases, DO be VERY careful, as some of them are considered highly offensive.
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Summary: Scheisse! The REAL German You Were Never Taught in School
Review: This is by far the best reference guide available to the general public. I wish I would have had this when I was in Germany as an exchange student - I just know if I had, I would have fit in much better at the Gynasium! This book is ... funny, but I think a lot of the slang and phrases touched on are useful as well.I highly, *highly* recommend this book for anyone who is studying the language or is traveling to Germany any time in the near future. I just can't tell you how pleased I was reading this book. From the beginning of the lesson to the quiz questions at the end of each chapter - this book was really something else (I don't think I stopped laughing at all from start to finish!)
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Summary: The word Scheisse says it all
Review: This is not the sort of book you should buy if you are serious about learning German. It is the sort of book you buy for a laugh rather than to learn some informal conversational German.But it is great if you want to surprise your new German friends and associates with your bad language.
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Summary: Very funny book on German
Review: This is probably the funniest book you'll ever see on German, and it's the only one I've seen on the subject. Most of the book wouldn't be repeatable here, but I might be able to mention a couple things. "Die Muschi" refers both to "cat" as well as to you know what, just as in English. Equally funny, I recall from my study of Chinese that in Mandarin, the word "mao," pronounced with the tone that falls at first and then rises, has the same dual meaning too. So German, Chinese, and English are all alike in this respect. :-) You might hear the acronym "BMW", but it doesn't refer to the car. It's shorthand for Brett mit Warzen, or "a board with warts," referring to a woman that is not especially well endowed. However, "der Vorbau" means just the opposite. In fact, it translates as "front porch," which carries a connotation of being fairly heavy as well. The book has 12 chapters with hundreds of off-color and colorful phrases and words, and a glossary. Each chapter has a paragraph of introduction to the subject of the chapter, such as "Curses, Epithets, and Other Cries of Exasperation," or "The Basics," or "Body Language and Other Parts." Finally, there a little quiz in the back to test your new-found knowledge of scatological German linguistics, so to speak. The book is only 112 pages, but there is a lot of information in those 112 pages, and it's worth the price just for the entertainment factor.
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Summary: Finally, a hilarious foreign-language text!
Review: Until I read this book, I thought I knew every nasty thing you could possibly say in German. I was quickly proven wrong. This is a great reference for dirty words and insults you can't find in even some medium-sized German-English dictionaries. It is assumed that you have a basic knowledge of pronunciations and other mechanics of the German language, so I'd recommend it to someone with at least a year of formal instruction under his/her belt. Other than that, watch what you say and to whom you say it; your Oma would turn green at the mere mention of some of these words, but the boys in the Biergarten probably wouldn't mind too much. (However, there is an adequate effort made at pointing out some of the worst words and phrases.) The illustrations put the book over the top; they're relevant to the chapter in question, in a somewhat literal and very amusing way. A great read, and the best money you'll ever spend in learning German!
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Summary: Great addition for someone learning intermediate German
Review: Went to live in Germany a few years back, having little knowledge of the language. I purchased the basic study items (dictionary, phrasebook, workbook, cassette tapes, etc). After beginning my studies, I came across this book. It was actually needed, because of my environment, German friends, etc. I figured it would help me learn the curses. This book did a few things I didn't expect:
- It gave me a deeper understanding of colloquial German.
- It taught me something about the German limbic psyche, and how they generate slang.
- It helped me 'fit in' - in bars.
- It helped me understand better, teaching me common words you won't find in standard books.
- It made me laugh (it is hilarious!)
- It helped me make my German friends laugh.
- And yes, it helped me learn the curses. If you are learning intermediate German, this is a great addition to your collection. It is worth the price for the humor alone. Do heed the warnings in some other reviews, though - you need to know where you can use these terms, without getting into trouble.
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