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

Nice one.
I was the victim of a Geisterfahrer, who luckily did me no serious harm though he ended the life of my lovely red sports car. Not an experience I am keen to repeat.
GVI

What is the English for Geisterfahrer? this is something that I and other fellow expats have been trying to find out. It's not one of those words that one used much when I left England in the 70's

Perhaps the word "Geisterfahrer" will find its way into the english language, like Rinderpest, err, Blitzkrieg, Kindergarten and Rucksack ?

Fortunately, we don't have enough to have our own word yet

And Bossel, don't forget Doppelganger and Schadenfreude

And "Angst" which I find an interesting example of how the English can change the meaning of a word. Although it's not absolutely changed.

I had thought once of compiling a book of "Neudeutsch" where the Germans take English words and use them completely wrongly. It causes confusion and embarrassment in conversations.

And then there are words like "concur". In German "konkurrieren" means to compete with something, and in English "to concur" means to agree with. Funnily enough, they are both right. The Latin origin means "to run with" - which you are doing in both cases!!

Why not write an entry on word transfers and shifting meanings? On the mistakes in using the wrong one of two meanings?
We call those words 'false friends', because you easily make mistakes. Some examples are
'bekommen' [to get s.th.] vs. to become
'nicht müssen' [need not] vs. must not
(Telefonhörer) aufhängen vs. 'hang on'
'Decke' a) ceiling b) blanket
'ausziehen' a) to undress b) to move out [of a flat]
Trillians Child might be able to guess what a german complaining at a hotel's wants to convey in saying 'If I don't become another ceiling, I will undress'. Or if someone tells a waiter 'I become a beefsteak'.

ouch

[somewhat off topic] There's an article in the Guide which covers oddities of the english language:
http://www.h2g2.com/A338825
quite instructive!