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Descriptive German
Nowadays, German is overrun by English or Denglish expressions, but it wasn’t always like
that. Whenever German needed a word to name a new object or concept, it used to try to
describe the object in terms of what it does or what it looks like. This led to some wonderfully
practical and descriptive German words that define the object or concept very concisely.

I. Use a dictionary to find out what the following words mean literally.

German word Literal English meaning

Beispiel: Geisterfahrer ghost driver
Augenblick
Berg-und-Tal-Bahn
Blechlawine
Blumenzwiebel
Durchschnitt
Fallschirm
Fernseher
Geistesblitz
Glühbirne
Hängematte
Heckenschütze
Katzensprung
Klarsichtfolie
Nashorn
Nervensäge
Nilpferd
Platzangst
Reißverschluss
Schadenfreude
Scheinwerfer
Schürzenjäger
Staubsauger
Steckdose
Taschentuch
Weichei
II. Was bedeuten diese Ausdrücke auf Englisch? Match-up the English expressions/
translations with the German words.

__________ Augenblick a. lightbulb

__________ Berg-und-Tal-Bahn b. zipper
__________ Blechlawine c. sniper
__________ Blumenzwiebel d. handkerchief
__________ Durchschnitt e. rhinoceros
__________ Fallschirm f. moment
__________ Fernseher g. outlet
__________ Geisterfahrer h. flower bulb
__________ Geistesblitz i. claustrophobia
__________ Glühbirne j. wimp
__________ Hängematte k. roller coaster
__________ Heckenschütze l. gloating
__________ Katzensprung m. parachute
__________ Klarsichtfolie n. vacuum
__________ Nashorn o. brilliant idea
__________ Nervensäge p. headlight
__________ Nilpferd q. long line of cars
__________ Platzangst r. hippopotamus
__________ Reißverschluss s. TV
__________ Schadenfreude t. short distance
__________ Scheinwerfer u. wrong-way driver
__________ Schürzenjäger v. hammock
__________ Staubsauger w. plastic foil
__________ Steckdose x. average
__________ Taschentuch y. pain in the neck (person)
__________ Weichei z. casanova