German DJ has issue with American idioms.

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gerg said:
Well, yes, but idioms are culturally dependent, like humour is. Whereas we say "when pigs fly", the French say "when chickens have teeth"; while we say that "it is best to lie low", the Japanese say that "pegs that stick out get struck down again".

In any case, I imagine that the man's confusion is more than slightly exaggerated.
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man, I wish I were born Japanese at times. :/
 
zou said:
The daddy long legs one makes even less sense, there is a very similar word for those type of spiders in Germany (something with grand dad or grandfather, forgot).
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In French, those spiders are called "Faucheux" or "Faucheur", literally "Reaper".
 
Fritz said:
Sure, in certain cases it might be appropriate. Most of the time its just tacky.
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Ya, it's pretty much why the ones I know I've pretty much never used.

:lol and Onkel's just blew my mind. Sounds more like a tongue twister than an idiom.


Kurtofan said:
In French, those spiders are called "Faucheux" or "Faucheur", literally "Reaper".
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Seriously? Damn, that beats the shit out of daddy long legs. :(
 
Speaking of German tongue twisters, what does "flossen" mean in this one:

Haifischschwanzflossenfleischsuppe

I understand everything but flossen. It's not the past form of fliessen or something is it?
 
zou said:
The daddy long legs one makes even less sense, there is a very similar word for those type of spiders in Germany (something with grand dad or grandfather, forgot).
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Had to look that one up: "Opa Langbein" (grandpa long leg) is a very, very rare name for that spider, and probably came from the English name. I've never heard anyone use it. The correct and common name is "Weberknecht" (weaver's servant), but they're also known as "Schneider" (tailor), "Schuster" (cobbler) or "Kanker" (I don't think that word actually means anything).


Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Speaking of German tongue twisters, what does "flossen" mean in this one:

Haifischschwanzflossenfleischsuppe

I understand everything but flossen. It's not the past form of fliessen or something is it?
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Fins. It's not really a tongue twister, though - just a very long word that doesn't even make much sense to begin with.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Speaking of German tongue twisters, what does "flossen" mean in this one:

Haifischschwanzflossenfleischsuppe

I understand everything but flossen. It's not the past form of fliessen or something is it?
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Flosse is the thing that fishes have instead of arms and legs, english: fins or flippers
 
bolbronx said:
He has a good point though.

Where would one acquire a decent barrel these days?
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You would think Crate & Barrel would sell only crates & barrels, and that the store would look like a late 90s, early 2000s FPS, but no, they only sell shitty furniture. Now how am I supposed to find ammo and health?
 
wsippel said:
Had to look that one up: "Opa Langbein" (grandpa long leg) is a very, very rare name for that spider, and probably came from the English name. I've never heard anyone use it. The correct and common name is "Weberknecht" (weaver's servant), but they're also known as "Schneider" (tailor), "Schuster" (cobbler) or "Kanker" (I don't think that word actually means anything).



Fins. It's not really a tongue twister, though - just a very long word that doesn't even make much sense to begin with.
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But the website said german zungenbrecher! The internet can't lie! But ya, they had a bunch that didn't seem like tongue twisters and then some that just made me want to say "fuck you" to my computer. Thanks for the translation though, I couldn't figure it out and it was bothering me. Stupid google was saying it meant "flowed", so I was confused since that made no sense.
 
ConfusingJazz said:
You would think Crate & Barrel would sell only crates & barrels, and that the store would look like a late 90s, early 2000s FPS, but no, they only sell shitty furniture. Now how am I supposed to find ammo and health?
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Haha, just pictured this guy going in to a Crate & Barrel and asking for a barrel carrying a cake and a gun.
 
that was pretty funny
KuGsj.gif
 
Yeah, its a problem with the German Collection Society (GEMA). He is German, you can tell from the other vid where he is not in character and bursts out a few German phrases.
 
Fritz said:
Yeah, its a problem with the German Collection Society (GEMA). He is German, you can tell from the other vid where he is not in character and bursts out a few German phrases.
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Ya, youtube is almost useless for me now because of GEMA. >:(

Edit: And ya, he has a very stereotypical german accent in most but his accent is all weird sounding in the one in the OP for some reason. I'm assuming it's intentional.


Cranzor said:
Oh, I know this guy! He's friends with OwnagePranks. Here's a prank call he did with him, it's pretty funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrb5Bj8YPwc
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What the hell did I just listen to?
 
Fritz said:
Btw., since when are you over here and where? Did you go to Oktoberfest already?
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No, I was told it ended on the 3rd? But I heard there is something else going on in Muenchen either this weekend or next weekend? Still pissed I missed them lighting up the Heidelberg Schloss the first week I was here. I'm always the last to find out. :(

PS: Fuck your crappy german keyboards. :P

Edit 2: I can't even read english apparently since I didn't realize you asked me a question other than Oktoberfest. :( I'm in Heidelberg if the first post didn't give it away. :P I'm here until January! Sort of wish I was here longer but I want my damn degree already.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
He's a bigger scam than a flu shot. It was this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_tswye73Hs&NR=1

Apparently, it uses some music that may not be licensed in germany? I have no clue since I can't watch it and all the other music in his was just nonsense.
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There is no music in it.

He plays to the German stereotype too much. He acts very serious and unemotional, no humour, looks at things in a very rational way, etc. Obviously done in a humorous way.
 
leadbelly said:
There is no music in it.

He plays to the German stereotype too much. He acts very serious and unemotional, no humour, looks at things in a very rational way, etc. Obviously done in a humorous way.
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Then what's GEMA's beef. >:( I was wondering that since it looked like an interview one just like the name 3 germans so I clicked on it.
 
leadbelly said:
Can you watch any of them?
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Ya, that's the first one out of like 10 or so I've watched so far that said it's not available in my region. Part of why I was confused since it seemed just like another interview like the others I watched and I couldn't see what music could make it not available since the one of him singing american songs has more music than all the others put together and I have no problem watching it.

Edit: Holy crap I can't type tonight for anything.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
No, I was told it ended on the 3rd? But I heard there is something else going on in Muenchen either this weekend or next weekend? Still pissed I missed them lighting up the Heidelberg Schloss the first week I was here. I'm always the last to find out. :(

PS: Fuck your crappy german keyboards. :P
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Yeah, that's right actually: You missed it! Wouldn't know about the other thingy in Munich (I am in Berlin). If you make it till December there will be Christmas Fairs all over the place which are awesome as well.

What the fuck is up with GEMA ruining my internet experience?
 
Fritz said:
Yeah, that's right actually: You missed it! Wouldn't know about the other thingy in Munich (I am in Berlin). If you make it till December there will be Christmas Fairs all over the place which are awesome as well.

What the fuck is up with GEMA ruining my internet experience?
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Dunno, but I think me and you should hunt down this "GEMA" character and get him to see things our way. >:( Ya, I heard the Christmas Fairs are awesome. I'm hoping as long as the exchange rate stays relatively strong I'll try to visit some places this month since I only have one class this month and the rest start in November for some reason. They have a bunch of "get to know each other" bullshit at the university I'm at though so I haven't had time to do stuff unfortunately. :(
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Wait, you seriously thought he wasn't? I was only joking that he wasn't. :P
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I had doubts. I've seen far too many comedians in my country act in character. :p

Sacha Baron-Cohen for example.
 
Could not stand watching more than a few second, his accent is atrocious. I always wonder how you can have such a bad accent after years and years of english at school. I still have one but it is nothing like the cliche one he has.
 
Always funny when you break out an idiom that other people are not familiar with. Some friends that moved to Canada were joking with their Canadian friend who wouldn't go out in the rain, saying "Why, are you made of sugar?". He had no idea why they were saying that, it was kinda funny.

Xater said:
Could not stand watching more than a few second, his accent is atrocious. I always wonder how you can have such a bad accent after years and years of english at school. I still have one but it is nothing like cliche one he has.
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The older you are when you seriously start using a foreign language (not just learning it in school for one hour every other day) the less chance you have to ever get rid of an accent. After certain age, maybe 18-20 years or so, it becomes pretty much impossible.
 
Xater said:
Could not stand watching more than a few second, his accent is atrocious. I always wonder how you can have such a bad accent after years and years of english at school. I still have one but it is nothing like cliche one he has.
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That video is a bad video since he has a more normal accent in others, he's obviously trying to make it worse in that one but you really can't understand how he could have a german accent living in Germany his whole life?
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
That video is a bad video since he has a more normal accent in others, he's obviously trying to make it worse in that one but you really can't understand how he could have a german accent living in Germany his whole life?
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I am German! That is the point! Every time I hear such an accent I have to cringe.
 
Xater said:
Could not stand watching more than a few second, his accent is atrocious. I always wonder how you can have such a bad accent after years and years of english at school. I still have one but it is nothing like cliche one he has.
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It's his act. Also the way he talks, sounds like right out of a WWII speech. I'd guess 99% of Germans - me included - would be too embarrassed, but he gives people what they want. Kinda genius really. He is certainly not too cool for school.
 
Xater said:
I am German! That is the point! Every time I hear such an accent I have to cringe.
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:lol Since it's only the couple of us I think we should hijack the thread and only speak german frow now. :P But I don't think I've met a german yet who speaks english without a german accent. Just like I'm sure when I speak german I have a very american accent. :lol


Fritz said:
It's his act. Also the way he talks, sounds like right out of a WWII speech. I'd guess 99% of Germans - me included - would be too embarrassed, but he gives people what they want. Kinda genius really. He is certainly not too cool for school.
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Ya, but a couple when he's not trying to hard to sound goofy he has a very normal german accent IMO but in others you can tell he's trying to exaggerate it into the stereotypical accent others use when they pretend to sound german.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
That video is a bad video since he has a more normal accent in others, he's obviously trying to make it worse in that one but you really can't understand how he could have a german accent living in Germany his whole life?
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I think that is part of the reason I started doubting it. It's almost as if he is playing to people's perceptions of what a German person is like.
 
leadbelly said:
I think that is part of the reason I started doubting it. It's almost as if he is playing to people's perceptions of what a German person is like.
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Ya, like I said some he totally is doing that others I've watched he sounds like I would expect him to sound normally.
 
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
:lol Since it's only the couple of us I think we should hijack the thread and only speak german frow now. :P But I don't think I've met a german yet who speaks english without a german accent. Just like I'm sure when I speak german I have a very american accent. :lol
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One of my friends doesn't have an accent, but he also studies English at uni. I also have no problem with having an accent, sometimes it can even sound charming. The one from this guy though is just atrocious.

PS: If you need any German speaking time just shoot me a PM. I can always use some English conversation time myself. ;)
 
I guess we could have one German language thread for all students and natives. Just as long as its confined to that one thread?!
 
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