Rating: 
Summary: Don't Buy It
Review: "Wicked German" is not for anyone who actually wants to learn to speak German or brush up on their language skills. It is written in a humorous vein, but even the humor is puerile. I regret wasting good money buying this book. My advice is don't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Buy It
Review: "Wicked German" is not for anyone who actually wants to learn to speak German or brush up on their language skills. It is written in a humorous vein, but even the humor is puerile. I regret wasting good money buying this book. My advice is don't buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Very funny little German book
Review: A very funny little German book that is as much a satire on the language, Germans, and travel in general as a phrasebook. Although only 64 pages, it packs a lot of humor and entertainment into this small package. Some of the phrases are truly funny. To give you a sampling of some of what's in the book, here are a few examples. In the chapter on Clothing I found "Diese Hosen sind einfach ummerfend." (These lederhosen are hilarious!) In the chapter on dealing with policemen, there was "Ich muste sie naturlich von der Strasse rammen." (I had to run him off the road, of course). In the chapter on "Words of Love and Pastry," there was "Ich mochte in Ihren Gugelhopf beissen." (I want to bite your Bundt cake). And in the chapter, "The Wurst of the Wurst," there was "Habe ich erwahnt das ich mich entschlossen Vegetarier su weiden?" (Did I mention that I've decided to become a vegetarian?). The book is devided into 38 sections of a page or two, each with its own funny phrases. The book is mostly phrases and sentences, but there are a few funny words highlighted too. There is also a humorous two-page "fractured" history and timeline of beer, which has entries like, "1516--The German Purity Law is written ro protect the quality of beer. Anyone caught drinking a Coors is spanked to death by a 300-pound barmaid." Even the chapter and section titles are humorous, such as "Surviving German Romanticism," and "Grimm Tales of the Black Forest." If you liked this book I can also recommend "Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught in School," by Gertrude Besserwisser, which covers all the funniest and most outrageous German curses, epithets, slang, and other phrases of dubious parentage and gentility. For example, I learned that saying "BMW" doesn't just mean the name of a car, it also refers to a woman who is not especially well-endowed, since it's from "Brett mit Warzen," or "a board with warts." But a lot of the book wouldn't be repeatable here, so I'll have to leave it at that and urge you to get the book yourself if you're interested.
Rating:
Summary: A must for advanced academic pursuit of German
Review: Ahh yes cussing. So vulgar... and yet so delicate. The nuances can thwart a student of the language of romanticism. For example did you know that "Fic dir" has only the literal meaning to the average German citizen, who is likely to reply with, "Danke bitte" or a confused stare. Scheiss is in fact literal, and offensive in any language, but many insults are going to have to be run by a native speaker if you would like to truly offend in German.
This book is about much more than insults. It is a parody of a phrase book and not an actual phrase book (if you didn't catch on yet). The phrases included are there for humor, and look accurate (but I'm not a native speaker). It has sections on pick-up lines, waiting in lines and other situations not dealt with in a basic German text book. Mostly the cusses are what you want to study. "Was zum Teufel?" is right. "Was der Hoehle?" is only literal. I was serious about those nuances.
If you already know some German, but want to hone your skills, then this could help. This is also a good gag-gift for a German student. And it might prove useful later.
Rating:
Summary: A pass-around-the-office book
Review: Always on-target and good for a lot of laughs, my copy is now circulating around the office amongst the staff, both German and foreign. Chrysler had better order a few thousand copies.... Honestly, you can learn a bit without even realizing it.
Rating:
Summary: Ich liebe dies buch!
Review: Are you looking for a funny, well-written, completely accurate book about German? Well, if you are, then this book is perfect for you. I am one of those linguistic-nerds that loves reading foreign stuff, but even if I weren't one I'd still think this bookwas hilarious, which it is. Kaufen jetzt!
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing, but nothing more
Review: As an American who lived in Germany for three years and suffered the slings and separable-prefix arrows of learning this fascinating, complex language, I can appreciate the humor at the heart of this book. But the examples here are really for people who understand that this is *just* humor at the expense of German and Germans, nothing more. You'll regret using any of the conversation examples here on a native speaker...
Rating:
Summary: Chortle-ishous
Review: I got this book from a friend years ago. I drag it out every couple years before another trip to Germany and giggle for hours. Try the Wicked Japanese, too. You won't be sorry!
Rating: 
Summary: sehr lustiges kleines Buchlein
Review: I think that this book is very very funny. It is great when you can look at stereotypes (and some true) and openly make light of them without offending anyone. It is very worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Sehr lustig!
Review: I've had this book for a couple of years now, and I still laugh my Hosen off every time I read it. It's a joke, see? Get it? This book doesn't have anything in it that you'd actually ever say to anyone. I hope you wouldn't, anyway. Hilarious.
|
