Rubberstamp

Publiziert am 14.12.2014
When used as a noun, a rubberstamp is a device for stamping ink on paper, something children and bureaucrats love. A rubberstamp does not have to made of rubber, a simple potato will do, but rubber lasts longer. I admit that I usually do not like rubberstamps , although I once got ... weiterlesen→
With a pinch of salt (& dragons)

Publiziert am 06.11.2013
Sometimes the ties between the English language and Latin are interesting. Anglophones often pronounce Latin in an unexpected way, at least for the speakers of south-European languages like Spanish and Italian, who think they are closer to Latin anyway and therefore pronounce it right as a ... weiterlesen→
Seamless

Publiziert am 12.11.2018
I hesitate when this word is said in meetings, and it is used much too often, I am afraid. Its meaning is clear, it means that something is achieved without hickups, interruptions, with no awkward transitions. They mean they want no problems, plain and simple. The German language uses the ... weiterlesen→
serendipity

Publiziert am 22.05.2014
The English Wikipedia writes:
Serendipity means a "fortuitous happenstance" or "pleasant surprise". It was first coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. In a letter he wrote to a friend Walpole explained an unexpected discovery he had made by reference to a Persian fairy tale, The ... weiterlesen→
Shibboleth

Publiziert am 30.03.2014
A shibboleth is a word that some people pronounce in a characteristic way, so they can be recognised by listening carefully. The word goes back to the Bible, Judges 12: 6, (King James Bible "Authorized Version", Pure Cambridge Edition) that reads:
Then said they unto him, Say ... weiterlesen→
Shortchange

Publiziert am 18.12.2013
The verb to shortchange means, according to my Merriam-Webster Dictionary, either to give less that the correct amount of change or to deprive or give less than something due: cheat. The first recorded use was in 1903. Now, how do we express this in German or Spanish? After all ... weiterlesen→
Smug

Publiziert am 27.09.2014
Smug is an adjective, according to my Merriam-Webster´s, apt to denote a person
h aving or showing the annoying quality of people who feel very pleased or satisfied with their abilities, achievements, etc.
I reckon the key word in this definition is annoying. It is easy to ... weiterlesen→
To Sneer

Publiziert am 17.08.2016
Lakritze has suggested the word to sneer for this blog. I agree, it is worth looking into, so I will try. To sneer is defined in English as a look of haughty disdain, scorn and/or disgust expressed by smiling in a conptemtuous way. It is used both as a verb and as a substantive ... weiterlesen→
Speed and velocity

Publiziert am 03.03.2021
Reading Ian Stewart's book ¨17 Equations that changed the World¨ I came across the following statement on page 38:
¨To understand Galileo's pattern we need two everyday concepts (! bold and underlined are mine) from mechanics: velocity and acceleration. Velocity is how ... weiterlesen→
spin

Publiziert am 30.11.2013
What a wonderful English word! So short. So many meanings! And many of them so difficult to translate into other languages! Let's see some of them:
The primary meaning as a verb: to rotate around an axis. Like the earth. ES: girar sobre su eje . DE: sich um die eigene Achse drehen ... weiterlesen→
Neue Beiträge
Escuadra y cartabón
Hace años los niños españoles tenían una escuadra y un cartabón para hacer sus ejercicios de geometría. Los niños alemanes tenían algo parecido, lo ll... Mehr→
Sollbruchstelle
Wieder so ein schönes deutsches Wort! So technisch, so klar! So viele Sachen haben Sollbruchstellen: Die Henkel der Bierkrüge, angeblich damit die Ver... Mehr→
Blasé
My Merriam-Websters writes on the word blasé that it is an adjective used to describe (1) people apathetic to pleasure or excitement as a result of ex... Mehr→
Steam
If you have the time to look carefully at a boiling kettle, you can observe something interesting: When the water boils steam leaves the kettl... Mehr→
Speed and velocity
Reading Ian Stewart's book ¨17 Equations that changed the World¨ I came across the following statement on page 38:
¨To understand Galil... Mehr→
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or grou... Mehr→
Trotz, trotzig
Also wenn in Linguee und anderen On-line-Wörterbüchern trotzig mit defiant oder stubborn ins Englische oder mit rebelde, tozudo, testarudo ode... Mehr→
Grooming
The press often gives events and scandals a name, so they can refer to them with just a few letters in the cover of a newspaper.... Mehr→
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Neuste Kommentare

Nein, das meinte ich ursprünglich nicht, es ging um ein anderes Bild. Aber dann ging ich durch den Blog und habe alle Bilder gelöscht, die ein Mistanw... Mehr→
Ah, das meinten Sie. Also, an mir haben die Urheber keine Einnahmen verloren; ich habe das Bild nämlich nicht gesehen.
Ceterum censeo: Wird Zeit, da... Mehr→

Otro uso de la palabra cabrón, hoy con acento mexicano. ¡Gracias, Cesc, me alegro de que lo hayas disfrutado!
Sí, efectivamente, los rusos eran bots.... Mehr→
Muy didáctico y ameno. O en mexicano: “Está cabron güey”.
Sobre la nota final, mi opinión por lo que valga: Aparte los lazos de fraternal hermandad q... Mehr→

Muy claro no me queda lo que quieres decir, estimada Loti, pero siendo lunes de Pascua temprano de mañana debe ser por mi culpa. Espero que tus emojis... Mehr→
Pijo se me parece a sifrino en Venezuela.
Los sifrino al igual que los pijos, están orgullosos de serlo y los que tienen modales y buen gusto pero si... Mehr→

Danke, Carlos, für Deine netten Worte. Ich glaube kaum, dass unsere Bemühungen fruchten, aber es ist doch ein Versuch wert. Und harmlos. Mehr→
Ich habe gerade diesen Post gefunden, weil ich denselben Gedanken hatte und nachschauen wollte, οb das Wort „endogerar“ existiert.
Mein Befund war,... Mehr→