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

We wrote this in reference to Sie sprechen deutsch? As we found it a particularly useless Guide entery. This one is much more informative however, but can I just sa that Bitte also means "yo're welcome" after someone says thanks.

Posted 4 weeks ago by Bagpuss
Subject: High German (Hoch Deutsche)
Hallo, Wir beide Deutsch sprechen und wir finden deine Worterbuch ziemlich langweilig.

You need a few really relivant phrases that will impress the Germans and make them accept you as a native speaker.

zum Beispiel;

Ein Ende ist nicht abzusehen
an end is not in sight.

Es muss wohl als eine Zeiterscheinung betrachtet werden.
It ought to be seen as a conteporary phenomenon.

and to make sure they know you are english and proud of it, here are some english related useful phrases.

Demokratie, so sagte einmal ein englischer Schriftsteller, sei wie ein Floss in bewegter See. Es konne nicht untergehen aber man habe standig nasse Fusse.

An english writer once said that democrasy is like a raft sea - it can not sink, but one always has wet feet.

In Krisenzeiten trinken wir gelassen unseren Tee.

In times of crisis we sit calmly drinking our tea.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted 3 weeks ago by Fluff McFluffy a.k.a Fluffy the Vampire Slayer
Subject: High German (Hoch Deutsche)
I completly agree with this, although that is probably because I'm the one who typed it. However it is not only important to know of these useful phases, we must also be able to remember them.
This is a way of remembering one German verb;

Once apon a time, there was a bee. This bee was, as all bees are, very small and not very strong, but this particular bee was so small the he was onl a be. Now this 'be' didn't like being weak and was quite upset about so, one day, he made a decision and joined the local gym. He started to work on his upperbody strength by lifting weights, however what with him only being half a bee and the weights being several times his actual size he had to strain really hard and his tiny 'be' muscles were under a lot of stress and he felt quite ill, sick even.
So whenever you hear the pained crys of a be - toning (his muscles) think
: sich betonen - to stress (or emphasize)

How about this one:

"Du bist schwer auf Draht"

"You are heavy on wire"