Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition

by Ben Schott

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Book cover for Schottenfreude

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Ever thought, 'There should be a German word for that'? Well, now there is. From the mind that created Schott's Original Miscellany comes a unique volume exploring the idiosyncrasies of the human condition . . . auf Deutsch.

In which language but German could you construct le mot juste for: a shameful love of bad foods, Sunday-afternoon depression, the lingering sensation of a first kiss, delight at the changing of the seasons, the urge to hoard, the joy of the perfectly wrapped present, or the ineffable pleasure of a cool pillow?

For example:

Haarmonie - Reassuring your hairdresser.

Fussfaust - Instinctively curling up your toes in mortification at someone else's embarrassment.

Zwillingsmoral - Reading horoscopes you don't believe in.

Gastdruck - The exhausting effort of being a good houseguest.

and

Kraftfahrzeugsinnenausstattungsneugeruchsgenuss - New car smell.

  • ISBN10 192214861X
  • ISBN13 9781922148612
  • Publish Date 23 October 2013
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country AU
  • Imprint Text Publishing
  • Format eBook
  • Pages 96
  • Language English