Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught in School (Paperback)

~ (Author), David Levine (Author)
Key Phrases: Gertrude Besserwisser, Ach du Scheiße, East Germany (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Another entry in the bestselling, Merda! series, this humorous book helps readers navigate the world of real Low German. Scheisse! introduces readers to the fine art of cursing and basic slang to spice up their German speech. On-air radio giveaways.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Plume (July 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452272211
• ISBN-13: 978-0452272217
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,740 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #22 in	Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > German
  #28 in	Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms
  #46 in	Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > German > Instruction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

133 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny but be careful!!, March 31, 2004

By	"loewenzahn82" (somewhere in the middle of Germany) - See all my reviews

I'm a native German speaker and as such I kind of feel the need to warn you a little about this book...
First I have to say that it is indeed very funny and VERY resourceful- I didn't know all of the words in here! If you are frustrated while studying German or just for fun before coming to Germany on a trip this book is a really good read I think. BUT (here it comes) you are probably quite prone to make a fool out of yourself when using some of the words or phrases in here, because a lot of it is horribly outdated. If I heard someone say some of this stuff I would probably be lying on the floor laughing- so you might not come across quite as planned!

But this isn't to say that I wouldn't buy this book if I were you! (I still have to find an equivalent of this in English :o)!)
You might want to consult a native speaker once in a while though...

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Gutter German, April 24, 2004

By	Jon Linden (Warren, N.J. United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In her book, "Scheisse" Gertrude Besserwisser, which seems to almost have to be a pseudonym, the reader is introduced to really wonderful low Deutsch of the most common variety. In fact, this is German you don't learn in school, I heard this stuff when I went to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. But not in school.

No profanity is too great for the unabashed Besserwisser. Wonderful colloquial German expressions of full throttle profanity and abusiveness are introduced in this book, along with illustrations by David Levine that increase the humor of the presentation.

The one item that the reader should know, is that basic knowledge of a little German is really a pre-requisite to get the most out of this book. Although, it is readable, by those who have never spoken a word of German. And just as funny. This book is highly recommended for people about to take a trip to a German speaking country. At least you will know when they are cursing at you, even if you cannot understand all of it.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Culture, and how!, January 11, 2005

By	Michigoon "tech geek" (Mid-MI) - See all my reviews

Not only does this book teach you all the 'dirty words', but it gives you insight into the German culture. Seeing that there's a phrase to call beer 'liquid bread' seems silly at first, but you quickly learn there's a lot more to it. It's a similar experience to learning some of the small cultural bits in your own language- Americans might relate to how whiskey can be formulated as "grandpa's cough medicine", or various beer/food/etc combinations can become the "breakfast of champions".

The great thing about this book is that it's careful to seperate myths from truth, and stereotypes from cultural traditions. Not only will you learn how to say the dirty word, but you'll learn the culture around the word, and how much trouble it will get you in. You'll learn what words we THINK are naughty but aren't, and some pitfalls you might run in to trying to speak everyday German (more things that SHOULD be taught in school but never are).

Great just for the fun of it, excellent if you plan on travelling, and absolutely necessary if you plan on drinking. Yes, you should have a basic running knowledge of German before picking up a copy, but so long as you know how to string together some basic sentences, this book will do the rest. I can't reccomend this highly enough.