Languages in general can be a peculiar thing. German, in particular, can be very peculiar indeed - at least, to the foreign ear.

This short entry deals with a specific aspect of the German language: the use of the names of towns in everyday speech and how this can confuse the non-native speaker.

The Wiener, the Frankfurter and the Hamburger - but not the Berliner

Before any readers from the USA start to snigger, it should be pointed out that German convention refers to the inhabitants of a town by the name of that town with a suffix of 'er'. Thus someone who lives in Wien (Vienna) is called a Wiener. A Frankfurter, therefore is not a sausage but someone from Frankfurt. Hamburgers, likewise are not beefburgers in a bun but people who hail from the northern city of Hamburg.

The truth about Berliners

Berliners¹, however, are what non-Germans would call a doughnut (jam filled, rather than ring-shaped). Berliner is short for Berliner Pfannekuchen (Berlin Pancake).

It is a modern misconception that Germans fall about with hilarity whenever the film of Kennedy making his famous 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech of solidarity with the inhabitants of the western portion of the divided city in 1962. In fact close examination of footage of this event, reveals that the crowd do laugh. But only because JFK thanked his translator for also translating that part of his speech.

And that's not all...

Krefeld is an industrial city, which lies on the Rhein river in Nordrhein Westfalen. Rather than an epithet for its inhabitants Krefelder is more often applied to a drink comprising Altbier² and cola in equal quantities. It is an acquired taste.

The trend goes international

Krakauer³ is the name given to a fried sausage. Very tasty with some sweet mustard.

You might be forgiven for thinking, given the 'rule' of naming inhabitants of places, that it would be more than impolite to take a bite out of an Amerikaner. Not so, given that it is a round, flattish iced cake-like substance. Again, these have a taste which needs to be acquired. Although nobody can give any good reason for wishing to do so.

But it is not all about food and drink. You would be very ill advised indeed to sink your teeth into a Pariser which is a slang term for a condom.