Slang

Noun. A car crash, particularly multivehicle pileups.

Noun. In use since at least the 14th century, this highly versatile word has multiple meanings.

Noun. A loveable rogue; someone who is untrustworthy, but charming.

adjective. Ugly, unattractive, aesthetically displeasing.

Noun. An incapable, clumsy and generally incompetent person.

Greeting. Often contracted in conversation as Servas!, Sers! or Seas! Also used to say goodbye.

Noun.Lit. “i-dot-rider;” A pedantic person; a stickler; someone who insists on dotting all “i’s” and crossing all “t’s.”

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.

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: Jause [‘jaʊ̯zə] Read More »

[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: Bagage [baˈɡaːʃ] Read More »

 [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: Blitzgneisser Read More »

[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 …

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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.

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 | Pfuschen Read More »

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 …

The Last Word | Transdanubien Read More »

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 | Jause Read More »

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain.

To be truly integrated in Vienna there are certain terms no dictionary or Deutschkurs will properly explain.

Don’t you dare ask an Austrian for a “Brötchen” with a “Wiener.” You might end up with a Schlag.

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 …

The Last Word: The Honorable Alexa Wesner Read More »