German Slang Duden Updates 2009
I sometimes get stuck in conversation when I have to use modern technology terms with older Germans. How do you explain being on Facebook, Xing, or Twitter to this older generation? On the other hand, what age exactly defines an older German? Based on the new German Duden slang dictionary, anybody over 30 years of age is considered Gammelfleisch (rotten meat) such as in Gammelfleischparty (synonymous for events for 30-something people and over). Their new way of defining age would have me listed as dead meat.
Anyway, in its brand new slang dictionary for sale as of fall 2009, the Duden has listed more than 5000 additional words – many of them fresh from the anglicism press. Among them are:
Nacktscanner: The security check at airports that scans the body down to your bones.
Raucherkneipe: Based on the new anti-pub smoking law, some bars have designated rooms where smoking is permitted.
Flatrateparty: Drinking parties for a flat fee = All you can drink which in rare cases leads to Komasaufen.
Abwrackprämie: Junk your car and get a bonus for buying a new one to boost the German car industry.
twittern: to post up to a 140-digit message on twitter.
facebook: to hang out on facebook. My daughter says: “Ich bin gerade auf Facebook.“(I am on facebook right now). I am curious to know what the past participle of it will be. Ich habe gestern abend gefacebooked? Ich habe gestern abend getwittered. Sounds OK.
The Duden does not limit itself by only increasing its content – when new words come in, some old words must leave through the gate to the heavens of obsolete words. Many French words were kicked out, some of which I had grown up with, where they mingled with my Franconian dialect into a Franco-Franconian lingua. More about lost French words in another post.
