Wonderful Wednesday Words: From the first time I heard this word, I was smitten. It was a course participant who first introduced me to this splendid term. He tried to translate it into English; naturally, word for word “egg-laying wool-milk-sow”, a with each word my face told an ever more confused look (I was told) until he gave up at “milk” and blurted out “Eierlegende Wollmilchsau”. “Eierlegende Wollmilchsau” I blurted back, what the hell (I actually used another word – but maybe kids are reading this) is an Eierlegende Wollmilchsau?
At the end of a long-winded explanation, I realized it’s another one of fantastic compound terms, which you can’t translate into English, with the nearest being “allrounder” as it “a single tool that attempts to handle the work of many.”
As a seasoned student of German, I always try to use newly learnt words & phrases until they stick. This one didn’t need many repetitions though because it was etched on my memory right away, never to be forgotten.
What Wonderful English words/phrases will you never forget and why?
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To be smitten (Verliebt sein), participant (Teilnehmer), confused look (verwirrter Blick), to give up (aufgeben), to blurt out (mit etw herausplatzen), long-winded (langatmig), compound term (zusammengesetzter Begriff), to attempt (versuchen), seasoned (erfahren), to stick (vocab) (hier sitzen), repetition (Wiederholung), to be etched on one’s memory (sich ins Gedächtnis einprägen), speaking of which (Apropos), goodies (Leckerchen), to grab sth (sich etw. greifen)