Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition - Hardcover

Schott, Ben

4.15

363 ratings by Goodreads

9781848549104: Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848549105 ISBN 13: 9781848549104

Publisher: John Murray, 2013

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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.

Fu�faust - 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.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

A homage to German's capacity for word-confection . . . it bring[s] the peculiar delight of German to its author's numerous fans (The Spectator)

Schott of Miscellany fame is back with an inspired linguistic compilation in which he explores the idiosyncracies of the human condition . . . in German (Bookseller)

Ben Schott, the undisputed King of Christmas books, returns . . . Like Douglas Adam's classic The Meaning of Liff, this excellent stocking filler allows your friends and family to succinctly express their shameful love of bad foods, Sunday-afternoon depression or delight at the changing of the seasons (Mumsnet)

Ben Schott presents a miniature delight (Metro)

Ben Schott's lexicon of Teutonic definitions is a work of brilliance . . . it is the best fun (The Times)

Book Description:

Ever thought, 'There should be a German word for that'? Well, now there is.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.