Spitznamen für Deutsche / Nicknames for Germans ?

[Hans1906]

In the first World War, the germans were called a "Mof", Plural "Moffen".
Link: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mof

In later years there were very many words for Germans:

"Fritz"
"Jerry"
"Kraut"

There are many modern and current swear words for Germans, "Potato" being a single actual example.

Before I forget, the Austrians refer to the typical German as the "Piefke", a malicious to benevolent description for arch-conservative and down-to-earth German.

Are you even allowed to ask such a question, is such a question politically compliant in the year 2022..?


Hans

[GregSingh]

Looks quite slim in the West...

In the East it was a different story.
This book has a whole chapter about "enemy names", which applied not only to Germans, but also their allies and collaborators. More than 200 names ! https://katalog.slub-dresden.de/id/0-1103682202

[Nemmexe]

Not much "nicknames" for Germans or most of other European Nationalities.

The name of country in Persian, comes from the French form, Alman (آلمان), and someone / something from Germany, is Almani.

Some other country names in Persian that are different from English and/or Native language:

Greece: Younan (Ellas in Greek)
Poland: Lahestan (Polska in Polish)
Hungary: Majarestan (Magyarorszag in Hungarian)
Armenia: Armanestan (Hayastan in Armenian)

[gebhk]

Hi Hans

Indeed the Polish word for a German and Germany, Niemiec/Niemcy respectively, has its origins in an ancient derogatory term. It derives from the word for a mute (niemy in modern parlance). This was a reference to Germans not speaking a 'proper' language such as those of the slavonic tribes whose languages were all close enough for basic communication. Allegedly .

In WW2 the words 'Szkop' and 'Szwab' became the most common jargon for Germans. Szkop was originally associated with occupation forces and refers mainly to the design of German helmets which was reminiscent of certain bowls/pots called 'szkopek' in Polish. There was addded piquancy to this because the word is a loanword from German for one thing and has similarity to the word 'skop' meaning a neutered ram for another. Szwab simply referes to a man from Swabia - the only reason I can think of for its adoption is that it is simply a nasty-sounding word in Polish.... Be that as it may, both words rapidly developed a pejorative connotation as the war progressed due to the horrors of German occupation and were often extended to indicate any German not just soldiers/pramilitaries/police as they did initially.

[gebhk]

Hi Greghsingh

Looks quite slim in the West...

I am not sure that is entirely true. I suspect that depends how hard you dig and if you dug as hard as the authors of the 'Katalog' you would probably come up with a fair amount of 'goodies' even in the West Hun, Boche, Hienie, Teuton, Ted, Squarehead or Boxhead are just some, just in British English, that come to the top of the mind. Interestingly a quick look in MJ Trow's priceless 'Swearing like a trooper - rude slang of the Second World War' has no foul-mouthed references to the enemy. It beggars belief that no such language developed, so I can only assume Mr Trow didn't plumb those depths because he wanted to avoid causing international incidents with his tome

That being said, we would probably agree it is likely that languages such as Polish, which are particularly inventive when it comes to profanity and invective, would nevertheless emerge victorious in any competition.....

[Hans1906]

Thank you gebhk,

I forgot about the famous french designation "Boche" /"The Boche", which translates as "Pig"/"The Pigs".

Boche: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boche#:~: ... 20Deutsche.

You will remember the german actor Herr Gert Fröbe as "Unteroffizier Kaffeekanne", in the eternal movie "The Longest Day" .
The perfect performance of the german "Boche", a very nice and self-ironic performance of the typical german soldier.

Gert Fröbe was great, a good man, and an excellent actor, only Fröbe could perform in this very small role like this, with his personal background and statue.


Hans
P.S. It's important to be able to laugh at yourself, very important, self-mockery is more important than anything else...

[gebhk]

Hi Hans

Hmmm, I don't think 'Boche' derives from the pig (cochon). According to some, it started life as 'alboche', itself a blend of 'Allemand' (German) and caboche (slang for head, by imputation a 'thick' one, or head of cabbage) - so perhaps 'German cabbage head', which was then shortened to 'Boche'. There are other explanations, but all seem to relate to the idea of the usage of 'caboche' as a synonym of someone who is slow-witted.

Incidentally another (very!) old French slang for a German, 'Casque a pointe' (ie pickelhaube) apparently survives to this day in French sign language: an index finger pointed to the top of the forehead indicating a pickelhaube is the sign for Germany!

PS I agree with you that self mockery is good - we should perhaps extend this thread to other nations not just the Germans?

[Hans1906]

Hi gebhk,

the "Pickelhaube" gesture is common to me, one finger "up" over your head = german.

Still common in some countries, right..?

Pickelhaube https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube (See image...)

It is important, to "swallow" all this Scheisse with some possible humor, without humor, nothing makes sense anymore...


Hans

[peeved]

In Finnish a German is saksalainen. Derivatives of that: sakemanni, saku.

niksmanni (Nix + sakemanni)

lapinpolttaja, rovaniemenpolttaja; Lapland and Rovaniemi burner, references to the unfortunate Fenno-German conflict of 1944-45.

fritsi, Fritz, hunni, teutoni; Finnish versions of common nicknames for Germans.

Post-WW2 usage:
nahkahousu; leather trouser
derkku; East German, derives from DDR (GDR)
Honeckerin savuverho; Honecker's smoke screen = East German car.

Markus

[Hans1906]

Thanks,

everything is repating again, the tumb german, the nazi with the monocle, the mass-murder in poland, and the tearful german.

Hans