h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmm... I can't make anything from this »german slang word« called »peedles«. Could you please explain what this should mean? (I'm a native german speaker)

According to the sources I read, that's why their name changed. Apparently it meant penis, but I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't in common use now. What part of Germany are you from, and how old are you? If Germany is anything like the UK, slang words change completely every 5 years or so - what sounded "cool" 5 years ago seems old fashioned now, and so isn't used anymore. That slang is at least 40 years old now, so may not be used anymore. Also, slang in the north of England is likely to be unknown in parts of the south - there is no one "English" language - it changes all the time, and I expect German is about the same.

Although I must admit that I do not know personally about the slang word, but I am told from what I have read that that is the reason why. I don't see any reason to disbelieve the official record.

Well, I'm from Northrhine Westfalia, near the border to Holland (Aachen to be exact). And, yes, the german slang does change a lot, too. But maybe my mother knows this word. She was a teen back then. But anyway: The word seems so "un-german", because of the double-e... But I will try to find out whether there is such a word!

Hmm... you'd expect it to be known around the area near Holland, especially around Hamburg, but then I don't know for certian, merely told in an official book which I can't would imagine lie.

But then it could be a specialist slang word, used by certain people such as sailors etc., or I guess that it could be based on a foreign word, adapted by Germans in the early 60s and then forgotten - I really don't know.

I'd be interested to know if you find out about it though.

I would think your book (or the author of it, respectively) means 'piedel' (I could assure you it's pronounced exactly as 'peedle') which means *cough* 'penis'. It is a rather old-fashioned slang word.

What did you mean: '... area near Hamburg, especially near Holland ...' (huh?) Well, I live in northern Germany and would not consider Hamburg being next to Holland.

Greetings,
SchrEck Inc.

Well, that explains it then . A typo or accidental miss-spelling, but a word none-the-less. I'll change the spelling in the unapproved article & ask Crusader about what can be done about this approved version.

As for Hamburg - okay, it's not _exactly_ near the Netherlands, but it is a lot closer than, say, Munich, even if further than, say, Bremen. It's probably about as far from there as it is from Berlin or Denmark. Okay, there are lots of places closer, but it's kinda like saying that London is near Wales. It all depends on what you mean by the word "near"

Well that was an immediate reply! As for peedles, the problem is the translation of slang words, I think. The poor editors had the choice of getting the right pronounciation (peedle) or the 'right' spelling 'piedel', which in fact rather dubious, as 'piedel' (could also be spelled 'pidel' with the same pronounciation) understandingly never got into an official german dictionary.

Dear Bluebottle,
I was born in Schleswig in 1953 and neither I nor any of my German relatives, friends and acquaintances have ever heard the term peedle, piedel or pidel.
Of course it may be older slang in and around Hamburg and I believe the author you quote didn't make this up, but:
For the sake of accuracy, would it be possible for you to trace back to the origin and clear this conundrum up for me and all other readers?



PS: This was an otherwise very interesting and well written entry so thank you for that

It is in lots of different books. I picked up two at random and it was in both 'The Rough Guide to the Beatles' and 'The Beatles Encyclopedia' by Bill Harry, founder of Mersey Beat. As far as I can tell it seems that Tony Sheridan said that that is the reason producer Bert Kaempfert gave him for renaming 'The Beatles' to 'The Beat Brothers'. After all, he was the star of the record and the Beatles just the backing band
It is mentioned in Sheridan's obituary:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9876075/Tony-Sheridan.html

<BB<

Duely noted. Well, I've sent words to older people in and around Hamburg and if something new turns up I'll let you know a.s.a.p.

Sadly it's too late to ask Bert Kamepfert himself. I just checked. He passed away 38 years ago already.