Customer Reviews

Wicked German (Wicked Travel Series)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A very funny little German book that is as much a satire on the language, Germans, and travel in general as a phrasebook. Although only 64 pages, it packs a lot of humor and entertainment into this small package. Some of the phrases are truly funny. To give you a sampling of some of what's in the book, here are a few examples. In the chapter on Clothing I found "Diese Hosen sind einfach ummerfend." (These lederhosen are hilarious!) In the chapter on dealing with policemen, there was "Ich muste sie naturlich von der Strasse rammen." (I had to run him off the road, of course). In the chapter on "Words of Love and Pastry," there was "Ich mochte in Ihren Gugelhopf beissen." (I want to bite your Bundt cake). And in the chapter, "The Wurst of the Wurst," there was "Habe ich erwahnt das ich mich entschlossen Vegetarier su weiden?" (Did I mention that I've decided to become a vegetarian?).

The book is devided into 38 sections of a page or two, each with its own funny phrases. The book is mostly phrases and sentences, but there are a few funny words highlighted too. There is also a humorous two-page "fractured" history and timeline of beer, which has entries like, "1516--The German Purity Law is written ro protect the quality of beer. Anyone caught drinking a Coors is spanked to death by a 300-pound barmaid." Even the chapter and section titles are humorous, such as "Surviving German Romanticism," and "Grimm Tales of the Black Forest."

If you liked this book I can also recommend "Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught in School," by Gertrude Besserwisser, which covers all the funniest and most outrageous German curses, epithets, slang, and other phrases of dubious parentage and gentility. For example, I learned that saying "BMW" doesn't just mean the name of a car, it also refers to a woman who is not especially well-endowed, since it's from "Brett mit Warzen," or "a board with warts." But a lot of the book wouldn't be repeatable here, so I'll have to leave it at that and urge you to get the book yourself if you're interested.

I hate to be a stick-in-the-mud here, but this book is really NOT a "phrase book" and should not be listed in the language reference section. As an American who lived in Germany for three years and suffered the slings and separable-prefix arrows of learning this fascinating, complex language, I appreciate the humor at the heart of this book. But the examples here are really for people who understand that this is just humor at the expense of German and Germans -- someone buying this book thinking that it will allow you to be witty in German should think again -- You'll regret using any of the conversation examples here on a native speaker.

This book is well worth its very small price. The author knows his stuff and provides excellent insight into the German mindset (and some only-slightly-exaggerated German history) while brutally poking fun at it.

I'd heartily recommend this book for any German speaker who has been to Germany for even the briefest of visits. It made me want to go back! Non-German speaking travelers could definitely profit from learning these key phrases.

Always on-target and good for a lot of laughs, my copy is now circulating around the office amongst the staff, both German and foreign. Chrysler had better order a few thousand copies.... Honestly, you can learn a bit without even realizing it.

And you will love this book! Keep in mind: It is not meant to instruct anyone on how to speak to real-life Germans...it is simply a sarcastic, harmless fun-poking bit of dry humor. If one was silly enough to actually try and use this, he/she might end up with their "hazelnuts in a vise". I live in Germany and have let my German friends take a look at it just to guage their opinions. The result? The humor doesn't translate and they just don't "get it"---they find it neither insulting nor funny.

So just loosen up, enjoy it for what it is and realize that complaints that it's not a 'real' book are useless and moot. Enjoy! Tschuss!

Love and Belly Laughs, TH

This book was totally cool!!! I absolutely loved the weirdness of the phrases and how they were all evidence of the German culture. If you love weird stuff and have a definite interest in Germany, you must definitely check this book out. Have fun laughing. I read it to my Austrian friend auf Deutsch and she laughed at the weirdness of what I was saying. Have fun!!!

This is a hilarious book which mocks Germans, tourists and travel phrasebooks in general. All of these need/deserve to be mocked.
Of course, you would never want to use most of these phrases in actual conversation. For example, when you meet someone in the Black Forest, the book tells you to ask them, "Are you an evil dwarf?/ wolf in disguise?" Possibly not the best way to win friends and influence people.
But if you read through this you will actually learn (or at least practice) some German, and have a bit of fun (okay, a lot of fun).
A fun supplement to your German studies, or just for a good laugh.

Are you looking for a funny, well-written, completely accurate book about German? Well, if you are, then this book is perfect for you. I am one of those linguistic-nerds that loves reading foreign stuff, but even if I weren't one I'd still think this bookwas hilarious, which it is. Kaufen jetzt!

If you already speak German, then this book is very funny. However, it is not something that a tourist should use. First of all, some of it does not even make sense, and second, some of it would be considered rude.

Are you looking for a funny, well-written, completely accurate book about German? Well, if you are, then this book is perfect for you. I am one of those linguistic-nerds that loves reading foreign stuff, but even if I weren't one I'd still think this bookwas hilarious, which it is. Kaufen jetzt!