Word of the Week: Aufpudln [ˈaʊ ̯ fˌpuːdl n]
Verb. To get worked up; to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Words
Word of the Week: transdanubien [tʀansˈdaˈnubiən]̯
Noun. Lit. Transdanubia, a popular nickname for the two Viennese districts beyond the Danube.
Word of the Week: Bassena [ba’se:na]
Noun. Orig. either French basin or Italian bacino, both meaning basin.
Word of the Week: Fetzen [ˈfɛt͡sn̩]
Noun. In use since at least the 14th century, this highly versatile word has multiple meanings.
Word of the Week: Schlawiner [ʃlaˈviːnɐ]
Noun. A loveable rogue; someone who is untrustworthy, but charming.
Word of the Week: Servus [ˈseɐ̯vus]
Greeting. Often contracted in conversation as Servas!, Sers! or Seas! Also used to say goodbye.
Word of the Week: i-tüpferl-Reiter [i:-dYpfəl-raɪtʰə]
Noun.Lit. “i-dot-rider;” A pedantic person; a stickler; someone who insists on dotting all “i’s” and crossing all “t’s.”
Word of the Week: Gründerzeit [ˈɡʁʏndɐˌt͡saɪ̯t]
Noun. Lit. Founder’s Era. A time during the second half of the 19th century where Austria (Austria-Hungary after 1867) became industrialized and under went unprecedented modernization and growth.
Word of the Week: Jause [‘jaʊ̯zə]
Noun. A snack, or a (usually cold) meal served in between the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, although coffee and cake also qualifies. Origin is from the Slovenianjúžina (lunch, midday meal). The term “snack” can be some-what misleading, however, as …
Word of the Week: Bagage [baˈɡaːʃ]
[baˈɡaːʃ] Noun. Riffraff, reprobates, a group of people you generally hold a low opinion of. A loanword from French that made it into the Viennese vernacular by the 15th century, it originally held the identical meaning – just like “baggage” …
Word of the Week: Blitzgneisser
[ˈblɪt͡sˌɡnaɪ̯ sɐ] Noun. A very smart person. Lit. a “lightning comprehender,” someone who gets things in a flash. A compound word consisting of Blitz (lightning) and a derivative of gneißen, an archaic Austro-Bavarian verb meaning “to comprehend.” Which would be …
Word of the Week: Bürgerschreck
[ˈbʏʁɡɐˌʃʀɛk] Noun. Lit. “Terrorizer of the Bourgeoisie;” A person who deliberately tries to shock and offend the conservative middle classes with provocative behavior. What does Bürgerschreck really mean? Most commonly used in reference to Punk Rockers, Artists, Anarcho-Communists, exhibitionists, juvenile …
3 Ways to Swear Like a Real Wiener
Entire books have been written about the ingenious ways the Viennese swear, rant, yammer and nag. And we know how to help you get acquainted with the high art of Viennese swearing.
16 Viennese Idioms That Make No Sense Whatsoever
The Viennese sometimes have their own special way of using the German language, especially when they lapse into dialect. It is often a mixture of gleeful malice, eloquence, flattery and charm.
7 Austrian Expressions that Sound Hilarious in English
Translating expressions word for word into another language seldom makes sense, as anyone who ever tried it can attest. Chances are you will be met with befuddled looks or cackling laughter, like a human version of google translate.
5 Embarrassing Mistakes to Avoid in German
If you think “Vögeln” has something to do with birds, we have bad news for you…
7 Words That’ll Win You the Heart of a Wiener
No matter how well you speak German, these words will impress any Viennese.
Get the Hang of Wiener Schmäh
Schmäh may not be the first thing you notice when you arrive in Vienna. But it comes up soon enough In school, for example: My children were astonished to discover that copying from classmates (“das Abschreiben”) was business as usual …
Viennese Humor | Tour de Schmäh
Forget Sissi, Schönbrunn and Apfelstrudel: According to the Viennese, their humor is the city’s most remarkable accomplishment.
The Last Word | Pfuschen
Here’s is this month’s Last Word Verb. 1. To do a slipshod, haphazard, unprofessional or poor-quality job; 2. To work with inferior materials; 3. To do Schwarzarbeit (lit. “black-market labor”), the practice of working off-the-books, without paying taxes, social security, …
The Last Word | Transdanubien
Noun. Lit. Transdanubia, a popular nickname for the two Viennese districts beyond the Danube, the 21st (Floridsdorf) and 22nd (Donaustadt). Generally only applied to areas within the city and its immediate surroundings, never to places further afield that are technically …
Last Word | Jause
Noun. A snack, or a (usually cold) meal served in between the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, although coffee and cake also qualifies. Orig. from the Slovenian júžina (lunch, midday meal). The term “snack” can be some-what misleading, however, as …
Last Word | Karambolage
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | Bürgerschreck
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | February 2018 | Proporz
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | December/January 2017 | Bassena
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | November 2017 | Schlawiner
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | October 2017 | Leiwand
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | September 2017 | Schiach
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | July/August 2017 | Hatschen
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet.
Last Word | June 2017 | Gspusi
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain. But you’re no stranger, so here’s this month’s cheat sheet
Last Word | May 2017 | Nervenkitzel
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain.
Last Word | April 2017 | E-Card Urlaub
To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain.
Russian Terms of Endearment and Funny Slovenian
The role of the German-speaking parent in the development of a child’s other language Ever since I started working on multilingual upbringing with parents and their children, many different families have come to me, such as Anna and Chris with …
7 German Words That Will Piss Off Austrians
Don’t you dare ask an Austrian for a “Brötchen” with a “Wiener.” You might end up with a Schlag.
The Last Word: The Honorable Alexa Wesner
The U.S. Ambassador to Austria, Alexa Wesner has been supporting the Austrian startup community since she took office in 2013. Her commitment stems from her own experience as a serial entrepreneur. We asked her what she thinks are the most …
