Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition
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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.
Publisher information
- Publisher: John Murray Press
- ISBN: 9781848549104
- Number of pages: 96
- Dimensions: 249 x 124 x 15 mm
- Weight: 298g




















