Garrison Keillor used the word "dinkeldorf" in his column today. From the context, I assume it to mean "fools," but I wasn't able to find much about it. It wasn't in Onelook or the online OED. Does anyone know the word? It sounds German to me.
November 15, 2006, 18:11
wordmatic
Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary lists this as a new word under the category, "People."
quote:
dinkeldorf (noun) : 1. One who acts foolishly, and tends to lack any form of grammatical skills; idiot, moron. Upon hearing the phrase "Give the papers to myself", multiple members of an advanced English class turned to the offender and informed him that he was, in the truest sense, a dinkeldorf. Submitted by: Jessie Bond from Illinois on Oct. 18, 2005 17:56
I tried translating it on Babelfish, but "dinkel" comes up as meaning "dinkel;" "dorf," as "village." When I saw it, I thought, "dummkopf."
November 15, 2006, 21:52
zmježd
Yes, Dorf is German for 'village'; cf. English placenames that end in -thorpe. Dinkel is a rarish word for spelt, a kind of wheat. In any case, Dinkel would be a little Dink, if such a word existed. Kinda like Smallville in concept.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
November 19, 2006, 19:59
<Asa Lovejoy>
quote:
Originally posted by wordmatic:
I tried translating it on Babelfish, but "dinkel" comes up as meaning "dinkel;" "dorf," as "village." When I saw it, I thought, "dummkopf."
Try translating "mist" into German, and you'll know why folks who don't like BMWs say it stands for "Bayerische Mist Werk"
November 20, 2006, 04:46
wordmatic
Comes up "muck." Bet I can translate that even further...
Sadly, my two years of college German from 35 years ago have just about entirely left me.
November 20, 2006, 18:41
<Asa Lovejoy>
All the German I know comes from the Germans I've worked with, and most of it will get my face slapped in polite circles. Same with Swedish and Italian. We men are the same wherever we come from!
November 20, 2006, 19:41
jerry thomas
A German speaker I once worked with taught me ..... "Wann der Hahn ruft Auf den Mist Wird das Wetter besser, Oder bleib es wie es ist."
(When the cock crows on top of the manure pile, the weather will either get better or stay as it is.)
((( Edited to correct the spelling of wirt == change to wird. Thanks zmjezhd )))This message has been edited. Last edited by: jerry thomas,
Same with Swedish and Italian. We men are the same wherever we come from!