Achtung! Dass isst der list of der Top 5 German Words that are Now Part of the English Language. And if you can think of more, don't go having any schadenfreude, or throw yourself an early Oktoberfest; because I can, too.
From the German kinder, or children; and garten, or garden it's that early schooling between nursery school and the first grade - or children generally between 4 and 6 years of age.
Literally meaning "good health"; it's the phrase that is the second most commonly used (after "God bless you") upon hearing someone sneeze. It came into popular American usage around 1905-10.
The dachshund is also called a hot dog or weiner dog (weiner being another Americanized German word). The elongated, low slung dog was bred to chase badgers into their burrows, which earned them their name - translated into badger hound.
Siegfried (or "victorious peace")was a German defensive position of forts in WWII corresponding to the French Maginot Line. Of course, in the end; the Allies DID hang their clothes on the Siegfried line. Siegfried was also the hero of a Wagnerian opera, the name of Maxwell Smart's Teutonic archnemesis in "Get Smart"; half of the Las Vegas act of Siegfried and Roy and the name of this writer's childhood pet dachshund.
From the German "to make noise" and "geist" - ghost; comes the term for a noisy or mischievious ghost - popularized in the 1982 Steven Spielberg movie.
I knew about kindergarten; but not the other four. Thanks for sharing. H5
Thank you for sharing this excellent list.
select one here...