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.

SCHLAWINER

[ʃlaˈviːnɐ]

Noun. A loveable rogue; someone who is untrustworthy, but charming. A crook, but more con man than hardened thug. Often used playfully for naughty boys, skirt-chasing lotharios or used car salesmen. Orig. Slovene or Slavone (Slovenian); in days past, many traveling salesmen hailed from that region, gaining a reputation as wheeler-dealers. Like tschechern (verb; to drink alcohol excessively, to chug), which stems from Tscheche (Czech), an interesting example of a pejorative where the original meaning has been forgotten, leaving a term of endearment.