Word of the week

What does Blechtrottel mean? How is this combination of words linked to computers not working in a desired fashion and their clueless users?

What does Holler mean? How is this Viennese abbreviation for Hollunder linked to horse feathers, claptrap, poppycock, hogwash and tomfoolery?

What does Gscherter mean? Find out about how this Viennese slang word is connected to sheared serfs, peasants, slaves and prisoners?

What does Watschen mean? How is this Viennese slang word connected with an infamous German anti-aircraft gun and the Italian word for cymbal?

What does Österreichische Lösung mean? Learn how the term fortwursteln and handing political problems over to one's successors are connected.

What does Masel mean? How is it used? Learn about how the Austrian dialect word for “luck” is tied to failing, birds and Yiddish language.

What does Haberer mean? How is it used in Austria? Learn about the importance of friends, networks and connections in Austrian society.

What does Knödel mean? How is it used in Austria? It’s another word for dumplings which Austrians love, and it is a slang word for money.

What does wurscht mean? How is it used in Austria? If you want to communicate your indifference to people in Viennese,"wurscht" is your word.

What does anbraten mean? How is it used in Austria? Are you new to Vienna and interrested in the dating scene? Here's some local lingo.

Junk, crap; broken, useless, things. Orig. from Gelumpe (rags). Note that Glumpert generally does not refer to actual garbage – after all, trash is simply the detritus of something useful that has served its purpose.

To bother, pester or annoy someone. So the implication is that you are desiccating someone, making them itchy and irritable like dry skin with literally “withering” remarks.

To complain, bitch, moan or grumble. And someone who frequently engages in such pessimistic ramblings is called a Suderant. Origin most likely from sieden (to simmer), the implication being that instead of an outburst, anger simmers steadily beneath the surface, never boiling over.

Verb. To march arduously, to slog, plod or trudge; can also mean to limp and, by extension, to strut (comparable to “pimp walk”).

Verb. To march arduously, to slog, plod or trudge; can also mean to limp and, by extension, to strut (comparable to “pimp walk”).

A practice commonly associated with Austrian government employees denoting that a civil servant is legally unfireable.

The proportional division of public offices along party lines.

Lit. “nerve tickle”; an informal German expression denoting the thrill and rush of adrenaline-inducing activities.

Adjective. Fat, overweight, obese. Orig. from gebläht (bloated).

Awesome, cool, excellent. Sometimes emphasized as urleiwand or voi leiwand (totally awesome).

Lit. “e-card vacation;” colloquial Viennese slang for going on (paid) sick leave.

Verb. To work, especially hard, physical labor.

Verb. 1. To do a slipshod, haphazard, unprofessional or poor-quality job.

Verb. To get worked up; to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Noun. Lit. Transdanubia, a popular nickname for the two Viennese districts beyond the Danube.

Deaf, hard of hearing to the point of exasperation.

Coll. Viennese for a casual, informal liaison.

Noun. A loss, originally in the central European card game, Schnapsen.

Noun. Orig. either French basin or Italian bacino, both meaning basin.

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. Orig...

Noun. Riffraff, reprobates, a group of people you generally hold a low opinion of. A loanword from French that made it into the Viennese ...

   Noun. A very smart person. Lit. a "lightning comprehender," someone who gets things in a flash. A compound word consisting of...

Noun. Lit. "Terrorizer of the Bourgeoisie;" A person who deliberately tries to shock and offend the conservative middle classes with prov...