As all Peach fans know, there is to be found sprinkled amongst the dialog in Donna's works a most interesting collection of German phraseology. As a quick guide to such phrases, perhaps so that you, too, can feel a part of the 469th, I provide this By-No-Means-Complete compilation of phrases I've picked out from the Peach issues I currently own. I have neither read nor own (yet) issues 1-3, nor 20-21, and I haven't yet added phrases from #23—but I promise I shall.
Some of the translations are directly from the issues in which they appear; others are the work of my office buddy and German tutor, Tommy Lee Whitlock, Boy Language Slut Extraordinaire (the only person I know who can speak Icelandic while completely drunk—but cannot speak it while sober… <g>) Here is the phrase collection so far:
- sei nicht frech—don't be fresh (?)
- genau—exactly
- hauptmann—captain
- gern gescheh'n—you're welcome (old-fashioned, or Schwabisch)
- flink—quick
- dattelzucker—date sugar
- platz machen—make way, make room (gangway!)
- knirps—shorty
- schutze—private
- klatschmaul—blabbermouth, gossip
- viel spaß—have fun!
- gütiger gott—gracious God
- lockermaul—blabbermouth
- rindvieh—cattle, brute
- scher dich—scram
- abgetreten—dismissed
- gerneweis—wiseacre
- zu befehl—at your command
- kein'swegs—no way!
- komm doch—come on
- laß, gib mir—le'go, gimme
- na—so?
- sachte—softly
- halte mal—shut up!
- nachschubsoffizier—supply officer
- feldwebel—staff sergeant
- knickstiebel—
- wohl bekomms—well-deserved
- du hast solchen stirn—you have such a forehead (such gall)
- mach ein männchen—be a little man (lit. make like a little man)
- weiß du—ya know?
- gütiger himmel!—gracious heavens!
- feld'… sarge
- heimats-verratung—treachery to homeland
- bursch—lad, boy
- du schöne mieze—you pretty…
- fischfüßler—
- heiliger bim-bam!—holy bim-bam (holy f*ck?)
- mir vom leibe—to me out of love
- verdammte mähren—damned…
- klieder machen leute—
- gib papa küsslein—give daddy a little kiss
- komm sieh mal!—come take a look!
- um gotteswillen—for God's sake!
- schönele—little beauty (Schwabisch)
- gauleiter—district leader
- guck'mal—lookie!
- laß los—leave it alone
- mach' freundlich—make friendly—the equivalent of “say cheese”
- hör verdammt mal auf!—cut it out, dammit!
- nur zu—do it!
- bygost—Schwabisch for by God
- stalking kauz—screechowl; oddball, eccentric
- zum teufel—Devil take it, to Hell with it
- mach flink—make it quick
- verdammt noch mal—damn-damn-damnit!
- ich kenn meine pappenheimer!—I know my men!
- hierher allseits!—everybody c'mere!
- sehr gut—that's good
- knorke—right on!
- dümmes kind—stupid child
- maus—lit. mouse, slang for 'girly'
- landser—grunt, common soldier
- dirne—broad, piece
- eine graue maus—a grey mouse, field mattress, “convenient sex partner”
- gott sei dank—thank God
- grossdeutsche reichschure—whore of the greater German Empire
- was ist mit ihm?—what's with him?
- abgetreten—dismissed
- nascherei—noshies
- liebes brüderchen—dear little brother
- besucht das schöne Deutschland—“visit beautiful Germany”
- es ist einfach—it is simple
- herrlich—lordly
- schnäubig—fussy about food
- affenschmaltz—monkey grease—term of endearment (erg…)
- schönheit—beauty
- keine sorge—no worries
- mach' zu—shut it!
- verdammte pflaume—damned plum (euphemism for “c*nt”)
- herrgott—Lord God!
- bin wie eine strandkanone geladen—I'm loaded like a coastal gun! (have to pee)
- weg!—get away!
- laß, dümme dirne!—Leave off, silly broad!
- Gott, was für alberne kinder!—God, what silly children!
- rohrspatz—reed sparrow—same idea as fishwife
- schmaltzkuchen—grease-cakes or short'ning bread—euphemism for breasts
- igitte—yuck!
- putzfrau—cleaning lady
- schön—lovely!
- hör'auf—stop!
- selbstgenügsamkeit—self-sufficiency (self-satisfaction)
- sein schönes ende—a nice ending
- liebster—dearest
- ein liebliches ende—a lovely ending
- kein kaltes ende—not a cold ending
- das wäre das ende von weg…—that would be the end of the trip…
- ein anfang… wer wind gefangen?—a beginning… who will be caught?
- lieber Gott—dearest God
- scheiße—sh*t
- was meinet ihr?—what do y'all mean?
- haltung—bearing, specifically that of a German officer
- kühl dich aus—chill out
- laß doch—cut it out!
- hand von der butte—hands off
- zum kuckuck und poliert—
- ist lauter gift—it's pure poison
- arschgeige—
- schießstück—piece of sh*t
- du mistbock—dung ram (something that wallows in sh*t…)
- rache ist blutwurst—revenge is blood sausage… (best eaten cold!)
- ich sehe nichts—I don't understand (lit. I understand nothing)
- stumpf—shorty
- ihr schleimscheißer!—
- du geizhals—you skinflint
- pinke-pinke—slang for cash
- schmeckt, was?—tastes good, eh? (yummy, said of food! :-) )
- blutiger teufel—bloody devil
- er kommt schon 'ran—
- auf die socken, ins dunkel hocken!—quietly slink away!
- verflucht noch mal—curses!
- zuckerarsch—sugar-ass (an endearment… :-) )
- dämelack—dimwit
- gnädigster—most gracious
- gewiß!—of course!
- aber gewiß!—but of course!
- juch'he—huzzah/hooray!
- dem herrn oberst—heil!—hail to the Colonel
- wie ein scharfschütze—jedem schuß, ein'n schlag!—like a sharpshooter—every shot a hit!
- teufelsdreck!—devil's dirt—the equiv. of holy sh*t!
- luftmensch—air person—one who lives on speculation
- luftschädel—airhead
- hoch! hoch!—high! high!
- laß mich—let me
- makaroni fresser—macaroni gobblers (pejorative for Italians)
(all copyrights reserved to their creator, Donna Barr!)